Palliation of hepatic metastasis

Between 1971 and 1975, 55 patients underwent palliative radiation therapy for symptomatic hepatic metastasis. Most patients received 2400 rad in 300 rad fractions to the entire liver. There were 31 patients who received concomitant chemotherapy, and 14 who were prior chemotherapy failures. Ninety percent of the patients with symptomatic pain and liver enlargement and significant palliation of their symptoms. The median survival of the entire group was 4.5 months, while those patients experiencing an excellent response (21) had a median survival of 9 months. The median survival of patients having an excellent response to radiation is comparable to that of patients having regional arterial chemotherapy while incuring fewer complications. The overall complication rate of those patients completing therapy (50) was 12%.