Benign and Metastatic Disease

Abstract

The use of radiation therapy extends beyond the treatment of malignancy for curative intent. In the benign setting, while its use for many historical indications has been discontinued, radiation therapy continues to serve an important role in the control of a number of inflammatory and proliferative conditions as well as benign tumors. In the setting of advanced cancer, a significant portion of radiation therapy is delivered with palliative intent, with the aim of providing symptom relief or reducing morbidity from disease progression. Furthermore, as radiation therapy technology has advanced, the distinction between curative and palliative intent has been blurred, and there is growing evidence that use of focal, high dose-per-fraction radiation in certain metastatic settings may provide improvements in symptom response, local control, and survival. In this chapter, we review key principles and studies that guide the use of radiation therapy for benign and metastatic disease.