Palliative radiotherapy tailored to life expectancy in end-stage cancer patients: reality or myth?

Background: The purpose of the study was to investigate the adequacy of palliative radiation treatment in end-stage cancer patients.

Methods: Of 216 patients referred for palliative radiotherapy, 33 died within 30 days and constitute the population of the study. Symptoms, Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS), laboratory tests, and survival estimates were obtained.