The importance of radiotherapy of primary tumor in synchronous metastatic disease

01/2020 Special Edition

Doc. MUDr. Renata Soumarová, Ph.D.; MUDr. Tomáš Blažek; MUDr. Marián Liberko

Radioterapeutická a onkologická klinika, 3. LF UK a FN Královské Vinohrady, Praha

SUMMARY

Radiotherapy has an important role in treatment of malignant tumors. It is usually used in treatment of localized disease in combination with surgery or as a curative treatment with or without chemotherapy. In metastatic setting, radiotherapy has palliative intent with the aim to relief from suffering. Nevertheless, with improvements in radiotherapy techniques there are also new indications for radiotherapy. Curative radiotherapy doses and techniques are used in metastatic setting with the aim to improve not only local control but also overall survival. Preclinical and experimental studies prove systemic treatment effect of radiotherapy, which leads to immune reactions also outside of irradiated target volume. Combination of radiotherapy with immunotherapy represents new treatment option. The aim of this review is to provide summary of studies, which studies added effect of radiotherapy of primary tumor in synchronous metastatic disease.

Key words

radiotherapy, oligometastatic disease, synchronous metastasis, stereotactic radiotherapy, abscopal effect, immunotherapy