Pain relief effect of different radiation doses of sequential half body radiotherapy for multiple osseous metastases

ABSTRACT

Thirty eight patients suffering from widespread osseous metastases and attending Kasr El-Aini centre of Radiation Oncology and Nuclear medicine [NEMROCK] from the period December 1984 to February 1987 were included in this work. The dose chosen for upper half body was 500 cGy in 6 patients or 600 cGy in another 6 patients [single midline corrected dose], while for lower half body it was 700 cGy in 11 patients or 800 cGy in 15 patients. All patients. All patients showed some degree of pain relief while complete pain relief was achieved in 13/21 patients [61.9%] who received high dose irradiation either for UHB [600 cGy] and in 6/17 patients [35%] who received low dose irradiation. The duration of pain relief proved to be longer in the group treated by high dose radiation dose [264 days] than those treated by low dose [153 days]. A marked statistically significant prolonged pain relief period was noticed in the group treated by 800 cGy to lower half body [316 days] than in the group treated by 700 cGy [165 days], such a difference has not been observed in the upper half body irradiation between 500 cGy [130 days] and 600 cGy [133 days]. The optimal dose for UHB which seems satisfactory is either 500 or 600 cGy while for LHB 800 cGy is the optimal dose. Sequential half body irradiation seems to be least expensive and the most efficient treatment for widespread osseous metastases