ABSTRACT
Background: Radiation therapy plays an essential role in the management of pain caused by bone metastases
Objectives: Evaluate the effect of radiation for the relief of pain caused by bone metastases
Methods: We conducted a prospective study of 86 patients suffering from pain associated with bone metastases treated at our department by external radiotherapy between September 2010 and December 2011. Patients recorded pain severity in the numeric rating scale and analgesic requirements before, at the end of irradiation, then weekly for a month, and every month for a year
Results:The median age of patients was 54 years [28-75 years]. There were 45 [52.3%] women and 41 [47.7%] men. Radiotherapy was delivered in a multifraction schedule to a total dose of 30 Gy in 72% of patients or in a single fraction of 8 Gy in 28% of patients. A favorable analgesic response was observed in 59 [68.6%] patients with 8 [9.3%] complete responses and 51 [59.3%] partial responses. The median time-to-response was 2 weeks [0-7 weeks], and the median duration of pain relief was 22 weeks [9-46 weeks]
Conclusion: Radiotherapy is effective in relieving pain associated with bone metastases in the majority of patients