Combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy

Combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy is a standard procedure in radical treatment of many cancers. The objective of chemoradiotherapy is to increase loco-regional control, to reduce the risk of distant metastases and to prolong survival, and thus to improve treatment efficiency with less mutilating therapies. Concurrent chemoradiotherapy, however, is more toxic than chemotherapy and radiotherapy alone or sequential application of these methods. Optimalisation of combined treatment requires further research. New possibilities arise with inclusion of targeted treatment and immu­notherapy in classical chemoradiotherapy.