Pain Palliation

Radiation therapy can be used palliatively to relieve pain and symptoms associated with advanced cancer.  Palliative radiotherapy is indicated in the treatment of painful bony metastases, symptomatic brain metastases, spinal cord, nerve root compression, superior vena cava syndrome (SVCO), hematuria, hemoptysis, and hematemesis.  It improves pain relief, neurologic functions, and other distressing symptoms and hence improves the quality of life (QOL) in patients with advanced/metastatic cancers.