title: The impact of bisphosphonate therapy on the survival time of patients undergoing radiotherapy for bone metastases.
abstract: Background. Bisphosphonates are form of medical therapy for bone metastases. Morbidity from bone metastases including hypercalcemia episodes, pain, pathological fractures and appearance of new metastases in skeletal system is decreased by bisphosphonate therapy. The aim of this article is to determine the influence of bisphosphonate therapy on survival time of patients irradiated due to bone metastases.<br /> Material and methods. 305 patients irradiated due to bone metastases were assessed in this retrospective study. 94 of them were additional treated by bisphosphonates. Median survival time counted from the end of radiotherapy to the death of patients was assessed. Using U Mann Whitney test the influence of bisphosphonates therapy on survival time was determined. The significance level of p = 0,05 was accepted.<br /> Results. The median survival time of patients irradiated due to bone metastases and treated by bisphosphonates was 8,1 month and 5,24 month in the group treated only by radiotherapy. Median survival time of pts with breast cancer and with unknown primary site of cancer who were treated by radiotherapy and bisphosphonates was significantly longer (respectively p = 0,001 and p = 0,016) as compared with the group with irradiated bone metastases only.<br /> Conclusions. 1. Bisphosphonates therapy improved the median survival time in the whole group of patients irradiated due to bone metastases. 2. Statisticaly significant prolonged survival time was observed in groups of patients with breast cancer and with unknown primary site of cancer. Median survival time was prolonged in these groups about 5 months and 3,5 months respectively.
authors.affiliation: Katedra i Zakład Onkologii, Akademia Medyczna, Lublin.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brzozowska
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mazurkiewicz
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mazurkiewicz
authors.forename: Ludmiła
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Grzybowska-Szatkowska