Sequential half body irradiation in solid malignancies. An overview

SHBI has proved as a reliably efficacious, quick, and relatively safe, simple and long lasting treatment method in symptomatic disseminated cancers. Its palliative capacity should bee kept in mind as a possible substitute or supplement of other symptomatic cancer treatment methods including palliative chemotherapy. SHBI in adjuvant curative intention is an experimental attempt. Therefore its use in therapeutic routine cannot be recommended yet. Further investigations using fractionated SHBI and different combined modality therapeutic schedules are needed. (orig.)