Profile of patients undergoing palliative radiotherapy: A single-institute study from a tertiary care oncology center

BACKGROUND: Palliative radiotherapy (PRT) plays a significant role in the palliation of symptoms in patients with cancer and constitutes nearly 50% of the workload in different settings. AIMS: The aim is to study patient-, disease-, and treatment-related characteristics in locoregionally advanced and metastatic malignancies meriting palliative management. SETTING AND DESIGN: This was a retrospective observational study in a tertiary care government institute with academic and research potential. METHODOLOGY: The electronic medical records, medical documents, and radiotherapy (RT) treatment charts were retrieved and studied. OBSERVATIONS: A total of 460 patients were included in the study over 2 years, forming 30% of the total number of patients treated during the study period. Three hundred and ninety-six patients received PRT to the metastatic sites, while 64 patients received extremely hypofractionated PRT to the primary for symptomatic relief. Totally 442 patients showed good symptomatic response to PRT. One hundred and thirty-eight patients underwent re-irradiation. Lung was the most common primary site seen in 155 cases. The most common indication for PRT was palliation of pain from painful metastases as seen in 240 cases, and the next common indication was palliative whole-brain RT for brain metastases as seen in 159 cases. CONCLUSION: PRT forms an integral and important aspect of palliative care to the vast number of patients harboring metastatic disease that warrants some form of treatment for symptomatic relief. Short course of PRT in outdoor setting is a preferred mode of treatment to improve the quality of life of these distressed patients.