Half-body radiotherapy of advanced cancer.

Half-body radiotherapy to deliver doses up to 1000 rads in a single exposure evolved to meet a need in treating patients with advanced cancer. Large fields are required and a high radiation output. Treatments are well tolerated, although radiation sickness occurs in 80% of upper half and 33% of lower half-body treatments. Marrow depression is not a problem and the second half body can be treated when the peripheral blood count has returned to normal. Subjective improvement occurs in most patients and this group had a median survival of six months.