title: Palliation of bone pain in patients with metastatic cancer using strontium-89 (Metastron).
abstract: Bony metastasis is the most common cause of cancer pain. Strontium-89 (Sr-89), or Metastron, therapy has been shown to be effective for the palliation of pain due to skeletal metastases. By reducing opioid analgesics intake and restoring mobility, Sr-89 improves the patient's quality of life. Sr-89 is given conveniently as an outpatient procedure, and when necessary it can be repeated at 3-month intervals. Sr-89 is useful as an adjunct to local external beam radiation (EBR) because Sr-89 will target all skeletal metastases, including those not included in the EBR field. Because Sr-89 is a beta-emitting radionuclide with a long physical half-life (50.5 days), precautions should be taken by the caretaker(s) against Sr-89 contamination from the patient's blood or excretions, particularly if the patient is incontinent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Scripps Memorial Hospital, La Jolla, California 92038-6030, USA.
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Kan
mesh_terms: D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000556:secondary*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D013324:Strontium / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013326:Strontium Radioisotopes / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D013326:Strontium Radioisotopes; C025700:strontium chloride; D013324:Strontium