title: Pamidronate in patients with painful bone metastases, who failed initial treatment with hormones and/or chemotherapy.
abstract: In an open prospective study. 40 patients with progressing painful bone metastases received 45 mg pamidronate by 1-h infusion every 3 weeks. A total of 27 patients (67%; 95% CI 53%-81%) experienced relief of pain as shown by the significant reduction of the bone pain score after three pamidronate administrations (from 2.25 +/- 0.64 to 1.15 +/- 0.36). Furthermore, 20 patients (60%) reduced their consumption of analgesics. We did not observe any objective response by skeletal radiological examination. In 11 patients presenting a skeletal progressive disease, bone pain improved, as well as their mobility score, but not their fatigue score. Treatment was well tolerated. Only 1 patient discontinued the treatment because of fever and cutaneous rash after the first administration. In conclusion, our results seem to confirm that pamidronate exerts a benefical effect on bone pain and mobility impairment in patients with painful osteolytic bone metastases.
authors.affiliation: Servizio di Oncologia Medica, Azienda Ospedaliera di Pesaro, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cascinu
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Casadei
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Del Ferro
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Alessandroni
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Catalano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000556:secondary*; D004164:Diphosphonates / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D010166:Palliative Care; D000077268:Pamidronate; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D004164:Diphosphonates; D000077268:Pamidronate