National Guideline Clearinghouse | Palliative radiotherapy.

Blogger's Note: the document reveals only one indication for ovarian cancer and it has been categorized under urogenital bleeding

National Guideline Clearinghouse | Palliative radiotherapy.

Guideline Objective(s)

To provide recommended palliative radiotherapy strategies for adult patients with advanced cancer

Scope  

Disease/Condition(s)

Advanced cancer with:

• Brain metastases
• Malignant epidural spinal cord compression
• Malignant superior vena cava obstruction
• Bone metastases
• Upper aero-digestive tract obstruction, compression, or invasion
• Malignancy-associated urogenital or gastrointestinal bleeding, or hemoptysis

Guideline Category

Management Treatment

Clinical Specialty

Gastroenterology Neurological Surgery Obstetrics and Gynecology Oncology Pulmonary Medicine Radiation Oncology Urology

Bleeding
Recommendations for Urogenital Bleeding

1. External beam radiotherapy has been shown to control hematuria in up to 60 percent of patients with advanced bladder cancer; and control rates of 80 percent at six weeks have recently been reported in patients with advanced prostate cancer. In patients with a life expectancy less than six months, external beam radiotherapy treatment with 8 Gy/1 fraction could be considered. Otherwise, a short course multi-fraction schedule could be considered.
2. In patients with vaginal bleeding who are unsuitable for radical treatment, radiotherapy is effective in resolving bleeding secondary to endometrial or cervical cancer. There is insufficient evidence to recommend an ideal dose and fractionation schedule. Radiotherapy may also be used to control bleeding and palliate pain and mass effect in advanced ovarian cancer.  

Patterns of referral and knowledge of palliative radiotherapy in Alberta (and Northern Alberta and parts of British Columbia, Saskatchewan, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut)

Patterns of referral and knowledge of palliative radiotherapy in Alberta [Can Fam Physician. 2012]

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To assess practitioners' referral patterns and knowledge of palliative radiotherapy (PRT).

DESIGN:

A 23-item questionnaire.

SETTING:

Northern Alberta and parts of British Columbia, Saskatchewan, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut.

PARTICIPANTS:

A total of 1360 health practitioners, including primary care physicians and nurse clinicians in rural, remote, or far northern regions; FP-oncologists working in community cancer centres; palliative care (PC)specialists; and medical oncologists.