July 2014

Rep Pract Oncol Radiother. 2014 19(3):191-4.

Radiation therapy in the last month of life

Patel A, Dunmore-Griffith J, Lutz S, Johnstone PA.

In this benchmarking analysis the use of radiation therapy (RT) at the end of life was assessed. Data were retrieved for all patients (n=852) receiving RT two-centres in the USA in 2010. Of these 54 patients (6.3%) died within 30 days of receiving their last RT treatment, of whom 20 patients (2.3%) received RT within their last week of life. The median time from completion of therapy until death was 12.5 days (range 2-30 days). There were no deaths attributed directly to RT toxicity. The authors suggest that as RT in the last month of life is likely to provide minimal palliation or survival benefit and imposes financial, time and physical costs, and although it only represents about 6% of cases, physicians and patients should minimize duration of palliative RT in the last month of life.

Prepared by Jason Boland