title: Radioisotopic treatment of bone pain from metastatic prostate cancer.
abstract: Hormone-refractory prostate cancer patients with painful bony metastatic lesions are potential candidates for bone-seeking radiopharmaceutical therapies. After careful assessment of symptoms and localization of pain, a bone scan is the single most useful imaging modality for the clinician to assess patients for the presence and distribution of osteoblastic lesions. Increased uptake (compatible with bony metastases) on a conventional bone scan is currently a prerequisite for treating patients with a bone-targeted therapeutic isotope. Determining whether metastatic bony involvement is focal or diffuse is also important in the clinical decision-making process. Patients with multifocal metastatic disease are excellent candidates for systemic therapies, whereas patients with unifocal metastatic disease may be more appropriate candidates for focal therapies such as external-beam radiation. Patients who are poorly tolerant of narcotics should be actively considered for alternative treatments such as systemic radiopharmaceuticals. Contraindications to administration of current bone-seeking radioisotopes include substantial degrees of renal insufficiency or bone marrow suppression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology/Oncology, Louisiana State University School of Medicine, Room 459, 533 Bolivar, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA. osarto@lsuhsc.edu
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sartor
mesh_terms: D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000556:secondary*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003657:Decision Making; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D011868:Radioisotopes; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals