Radiotherapy for cancer
Ask A, Berg G, Bergqvist D, Brorsson B, Cavallin-Stahl E, Ceberg J, et al
Record ID 32003000969
English, Swedish
Authors' objectives:
This report updates the previous SBU report 'Radiotherapy for Cancer', published in 1996. The updated report presents a systematic review of the 13 types of cancer that were investigated in the previous report and also addresses two additional types, ie, esophageal cancer and rectal cancer.
Authors' recommendations:
This report lends further support to the role of radiotherapy as an important form of both curative and palliative treatment. At present, radiotherapy is provided to nearly one half of all cancer patients at some stage in their disease. However, randomized controlled trials are needed to enhance the level of knowledge within several areas covered by the report. More patients must be included in clinical trials.
The scientific literature shows that surgery in combination with radiotherapy has curative effects on many types of cancer, eg, breast cancer, rectal cancer, sarcoma, cervical cancer, and uterine cancer. Radiotherapy alone may have curative effects on some types of cancer, eg, in head and neck cancer and certain types of lymphoma.
Radiotherapy is shown to have good palliative effects on metastasized cancer, particularly skeletal metastasis and symptomatic metastasis in the brain. A comparison of results from the literature review and the survey of treatment practice shows that curative radiotherapy in Sweden is delivered largely in accordance with the scientific evidence. Palliative treatments have increased, which concurs with the findings presented in the earlier SBU report.
Authors' methods:
Systematic review
Details
Project Status:
Completed
URL for project:
http://www.sbu.se/Published
Year Published:
2003
English language abstract:
An English language summary is available
Publication Type:
Not Assigned
Country:
Sweden
MeSH Terms
- Radiotherapy
- Neoplasms
Contact
Organisation Name:
Swedish Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Assessment of Social Services
Contact Address:
P.O. Box 3657, SE-103 59 Stockholm, Sweden. Tel: +46 8 4123200, Fax: +46 8 4113260
Contact Name:
registrator@sbu.se
Contact Email:
registrator@sbu.se
Copyright:
Swedish Council on Technology Assessment in Health Care (SBU)
This is a bibliographic record of a published health technology assessment from a member of INAHTA or other HTA producer. No evaluation of the quality of this assessment has been made for the HTA database.