Palliative Short Course Radiotherapy for Advanced Thoracic Cancer

Palliative Short Course Accelerated Radiation Therapy for Advanced Thoracic Cancer

The study wants to define the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), safety and efficacy of a short course radiation therapy in patients with symptomatic advanced thoracic cancer.

The study wants to define the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of a conformal short course accelerated radiation therapy delivered in twice daily fractions and 2 consecutive days, and the feasibility of this fractionation in term of safety and efficacy for symptomatic palliation of advanced thoracic cancer.

Inclusion Criteria:

• histologically proven advanced thoracic cancer
• excluded from curative therapy because of disease stage and/or presence of multiple comorbidities and/or poor performance status
• age > 18 years
• Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) <3

Exclusion Criteria:

- prior radiotherapy to the same region