Retreatment with radiotherapy for painful bone metastases.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the response to reirradiation of painful bone metastases following initial treatment with radiotherapy.


METHODS
A retrospective analysis of 105 consecutive patients treated with palliative radiotherapy for painful bone metastases. A total of 280 individual treatment sites were identified, of which 57 were retreated once and 8 were retreated twice.


RESULTS
The overall response rate to initial treatment was 84% for pain relief, and at first retreatment this was 87%. Seven of eight patients retreated a second time also achieved pain relief. No relation to radiation dose, primary tumor type, or site was seen.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients relapsing after radiotherapy to painful bone metastases who have responded initially, reirradiation can be recommended with a similar probability of response.
Mithal
N P
NP
Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel.
Needham
P R
PR
Hoskin
P J
PJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000556:secondary*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010166:Palliative Care; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors