One & done: treating cord compression with single-fraction radiation therapy

For patients with advanced cancer diagnosed with metastatic epidural spinal cord compression (MESCC), radiation therapy can be an appropriate and effective strategy to preserve neurologic function and improve pain (1-3). However, these patients may also have poor performance status and/or limited prognoses (4), and multiple daily treatments using standard fractionation radiation therapy may impose substantial treatment burdens for patients and their caregivers.