NEW TREATMENT APPROACHES WITH RADIOTHERAP Y IN A PALLIATIVE INTENTION

To improve or to maintain quality of life in patients suffering from a n incurable malignancy is the goal of palliative radiation oncology. O ften, the place of a new treatment modality in such a treatment strate gy is not well established. Methods and results obtained at the Depart ment of Radiotherapy at the Essen University (West-German Tumor Center ) are described for the following modalities: endobronchial HDR-afterl oading therapy for central lung cancer, intraoperative radiotherapy fo r cancer of the pancreas and hyperthermia combined with irradiation in cases of recurrent breast cancer and recurrent rectal carcinoma. Thes e sophisticated techniques can play an important role in palliative tr eatment regimens.