title: Strontium-89 chloride in the treatment of bone metastases from breast cancer.
abstract: Sixty-four patients with painful metastatic breast cancer in bone were treated with 2 MBq/kg of strontium-89 chloride as a single intravenous injection. Patients were followed with records of medication, hematology parameters, serial bone and Sr-89 bremsstrahlung images and with a point pain score scale (10-0). The response was assessed during a 6-month period of follow-up. Fifty-two of 64 patients (81%) showed at least a moderate improvement. Eighteen out of the 52 responders showed a dramatic decrease in bone pain (35%), 21 (40%) presented a satisfactory response and in 13 cases (25%) the response was moderate. Only 12 patients (19%) from the whole group did not feel any improvement on pain palliation. A statistically significant decrease of pretreatment levels of platelets and leukocyte counts was observed after 4-6 weeks of therapy in 50 (70%) patients. Although most patients showed no change in their bone scans after 3 months of treatment, an obvious improvement was observed in 3 of them. Furthermore no additional painful metastases on their bone scintigraphic images were observed. The selective strontium-89 local uptake in metastatic sites was also confirmed directly by bremsstrahlung scans which were absolutely comparable to the respective 99mTc bone scans. Precautions have been taken against Sr-89 contamination from the patients' blood or excretions.
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Medicine Department, Agios Savvas Hospital, University of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Baziotis
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yakoumakis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zissimopoulos
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Geronicola-Trapali
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Malamitsi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Proukakis
mesh_terms: D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000556:secondary*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D010148:Intractable Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D010166:Palliative Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013324:Strontium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013326:Strontium Radioisotopes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013326:Strontium Radioisotopes; C025700:strontium chloride; D013324:Strontium