[Radiation therapy in palliative care of cancer patients].

Since westernization of cancer profile and our aging society, the number of radiation therapy is increasing in this country. When compared to surgical operation and chemotherapy, the patient's adverse effects by radiation therapy are relatively limited. This is the reason why this treatment modality is used most frequently as a palliation of terminal-stage cancer patients. Radiation therapy gives not only pain relief of the tumor lesion, but also local control of the disease to prevent pathological fracture, spinal cord compression, or brain metastasis. Recently, technical innovations in this field actualizes pinpoint dose concentration to the cancer lesion, which benefits advanced or terminal cancer patients as well. Clinical usefulness of radiotherapy in the palliative medicine is documented.