ABSTRACT
Approximately half of all radiotherapy (RT) treatments are given with palliative, as opposed to radical (curative), intent, and this number is likely to further increase as patients continue to live longer as a result of therapeutic advancements. Despite appropriate dosing, approximately 25-50% of patients will develop new or recurrent brain metastases, particularly if they have high-risk histologies, progressing systemic disease and/or high intracranial tumor burden. Patients with local progression of head and neck cancer can develop significant and devastating symptoms related, including respiratory distress, pain, dysphagia, odynophagia, hoarseness, otalgia, ulceration, and/or bleeding. Patients locally advanced head and neck cancer receive high-dose RT, often in combination with chemotherapy, with curative intent, whereas for patients with recurrent or metastatic disease, systemic therapy is the mainstay of treatment. Less commonly, approximately 5% of patients with solid tumors will develop cutaneous metastases.
