Half body irradiation in metastatic cancer: Technique, results and morbidity

ABSTRACT

The study included 73 patients with disseminated skeletal metastases from different primary cancers. They received 101 half body irradiation [HBI] treatments, 34 upper HBI and 67 lower HBI. Patients were r and omized into two groups; either receiving single fraction HBI [65 treatments] giving 850 cGy midplane dose, or fractionated HBI [36 treatments] giving the same dose divided over two fractions separated by 24 hours. The overall response to UHBI was 100% with 82% complete responses, while in LHBI they were 94% and 75% respectively. The mean duration of response was 25.8 weeks and 23.8 weeks in upper and lower HBI respectively and the mean survival times were 34.9 and 33.3, respectively. Pretreatment performance status was the most important parameter significantly affecting the response to therapy. Treatment toxicities were tolerable, reversible and could be managed effectively by simple medical measures. Acute toxicities were mainly gastrointestinal and hematological. Late morbidity includes alopecia, change of taste and interstitial pneumonitis with UHBI and amenorrhea with LHBI