Pituitary ablation in the relief of pain in advanced prostatic carcinoma.
Fifty-five patients with diffuse pain due to bone metastases from prostate carcinoma were treated by pituitary ablation (53 with intrasellar Yttrium 90 and 2 with intrapituitary alcohol instillation). The provisional criteria of the British Prostate Group were used to assess results. Post-operatively, 44 patients (80%) were significantly free of pain and 12 of them were completely pain-free. In only 11 cases (20%) was there no relief of pain. Of the 39 patients who required narcotics before ablation, only 12 required them post-operatively. Pituitary ablation with Yttrium 90 has an important place in the relief of pain in advanced carcinoma of the prostate, although survival is not increased.
D000368:Aged; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010148:Intractable Pain / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010166:Palliative Care; D010910:Pituitary Irradiation; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*