These symptoms include pain, bleeding, and decreased function. The goals of palliative therapy are to provide symptom-relief, and not to increase survival time or cure the cancer. Radiation therapy is particularly useful in alleviating pain associated with tumors that are arising from, or invading into bone. About two thirds of patients have moderate to significant improvement, and the effects can last for a few weeks to several months. Decrease in symptoms can occur as quickly as several days after the first treatment, or it may take a few weeks before improvement is seen.
Palliative radiation involves delivering a few large doses of radiation over several weeks.
In most cases, palliative radiation therapy is a one-time course of treatment and cannot be repeated. Patients are treated as outpatients, with each treatment requiring about 2-3 hours at the Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. This time includes preparation for anesthesia, treatment delivery, and recovery. The radiation is focused on the tumor, and the fur in this area will be clipped and pen marks used to outline the treatment area. Your pet may be a little groggy or sedate for several hours after going home, and should be kept quiet and have limited food and water until fully recovered.