title: External beam radiotherapy for palliation of pain from metastatic carcinoma of the prostate.
abstract: Radiotherapy often is used for palliation of bone pain from metastatic cancer of the prostate but an objective evaluation of its efficacy in a large series of patients is unavailable. We report the results of external beam irradiation in 62 patients who had bone pain secondary to stage D carcinoma of the prostate. The variables used to judge pain before and after radiotherapy included subjective evaluation of pain, status of activity and quantitation of analgesic use. Complete relief of pain was achieved in 26 patients (42 per cent), partial relief in 22 (35 per cent) and no relief in 14 (23 per cent). On the basis of our experience external beam irradiation is useful palliative therapy for pain from metastatic cancer of the prostate.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000556:secondary*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000528:radiation effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D010166:Palliative Care; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000532:radiotherapy
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D004967:Estrogens