Radiotherapy for pain

Palliative Care Needs of Patients with Musculoskeletal Malignancies

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review aims to assess the literature regarding current treatment options for the palliative care of patients with advanced musculoskeletal malignancies whether primary or metastatic.

RECENT FINDINGS

The inclusion of specialized palliative care physicians, in conjunction with surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, interventional radiologists, and mental health professionals, results in better control of end-of-life symptoms in both children and adults with terminal musculoskeletal malignancies. The palliative care of patients with musculoskeletal malignancies requires a multi-disciplinary team and benefits from specialized palliative care physicians. The unique impacts of musculoskeletal malignancies on ambulation and independence creates additional mental and physical burdens on patients and care-takers alike. Palliative care should focus on preserving ambulatory function and patient independence, in addition to managing chronic pain and other end-of-life symptoms common to these malignancies.

Radiation Therapy in Older Adults With Cancer: A Critical Modality in Geriatric Oncology

Radiation therapy (RT) is a commonly used modality in the treatment of older adults with cancer, and RT represents an attractive oncologic treatment option, providing a noninvasive local therapy with limited systemic side effects. The Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO) recently published a special series on Geriatric Oncology providing a comprehensive overview of multiple treatment modalities available to older adults with cancer. The purpose of this short review is to highlight the importance of RT in the treatment of older adults and encourage multidisciplinary participation in their care.

Factors Affecting the Quality of Life of Patients with Painful Spinal Bone Metastases

This study examined changes in the quality of life (QOL), as well as the factors affecting QOL, among patients with painful spinal bone metastases without paralysis for 1 month after radiotherapy. Methods: This study included 79 participants (40 male and 39 female; median age, 65 (42–88) years) who had undergone radiotherapy for painful spinal bone metastases without paralysis. Patients’ age, sex, activities of daily living (Barthel index), pain, spinal instability (spinal instability neoplastic score [SINS]), and QOL (EORTC QLQ-C30) were investigated. Results: Having an unstable SINS score was a positive factor for global health status (p < 0.05). The improvement in activities of daily living and response to pain were positive factors for physical function (p < 0.05). A positive effect on emotional function was confirmed among female patients (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Engaging in rehabilitation along with radiotherapy leads to improvements in QOL for patients with spinal bone metastases.

Palliative Radiation for Cancer Pain Management

Bone metastases are the most common cause of cancer-related pain. Radiation therapy (RT) is a very common and effective treatment to relieve pain. Conventionally fractionated RT typically consists of the following regimens: 8 Gy in a single treatment, 20 Gy in five fractions, 24 Gy in six fractions, or 30 Gy in ten fractions. All treatment regimens have similar rates of pain relief (range 50-80%), with single-fraction treatment often requiring retreatment. While many painful bony metastases can be managed with RT alone, some may be more complex, often requiring multidisciplinary management, including the need for surgical stabilization or augmentation prior to RT. There are multiple assessment tools including the neurologic, oncologic, mechanical, and systemic (NOMS) decision framework, which allows clinicians to assess the proper course of treatment for these patients. For patients with good prognosis, oligometastatic disease, or those presenting with more radioresistant tumors, stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) may be another option, which offers ablative doses of radiation delivered over several treatments. This chapter reviews the fundamentals of RT for palliation.

Current Overview of Treatment for Metastatic Bone Disease

The number of patients with bone metastasis increases as medical management and surgery improve the overall survival of patients with cancer. Bone metastasis can cause skeletal complications, including bone pain, pathological fractures, spinal cord or nerve root compression, and hypercalcemia. Before initiation of treatment for bone metastasis, it is important to exclude primary bone malignancy, which would require a completely different therapeutic approach. It is essential to select surgical methods considering the patient’s prognosis, quality of life, postoperative function, and risk of postoperative complications. Therefore, bone metastasis treatment requires a multidisciplinary team approach, including radiologists, oncologists, and orthopedic surgeons. Recently, many novel palliative treatment options have emerged for bone metastases, such as stereotactic body radiation therapy, radiopharmaceuticals, vertebroplasty, minimally invasive spine stabilization with percutaneous pedicle screws, acetabuloplasty, embolization, thermal ablation techniques, electrochemotherapy, and high-intensity focused ultrasound. These techniques are beneficial for patients who may not benefit from surgery or radiotherapy.

Prophylactic corticosteroid to prevent pain flare in bone metastases treated by radiotherapy

Background

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of prophylactic corticosteroids to prevent pain flare (PF) in bone metastases treated with radiotherapy performing a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (RCT).

Materials and methods

RCTs were identified on Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and the proceedings of annual meetings through June 2020. We followed the PRISMA and MOOSE guidelines. A meta-analysis was performed to assess if corticosteroids reduce the PF, pain progression, and the mean of days with PF compared with the placebo. A p-value < 0.05 was considered significant.

Results

Three RCTs with a total of 713 patients treated were included. The corticosteroids reduced the occurrence of early PF 20.5% (51/248) versus 32% (80/250) placebo, OR = 0.55 (95% CI: 0.36-0.82, p = 0.002). The mean days of PF were reduced to 1.6 days (95% CI: 1.3-1.9, p = 0.0001). Prophylactic corticosteroids had more patients with no PF and no pain progression, OR = 1.63 (95% CI: 1.14-2.32, p = 0.007). No significant corticosteroids effect was observed for pain progression (p = ns) and late PF occurrence (p = ns).

Conclusion

Prophylactic corticosteroids reduced the incidence of early PF, the days with PF, resulting in a superior rate of patients with no PF and no pain progression, but with no significant benefit for reducing pain progression or late PF occurrence.

Inconsistencies in assessment of pain endpoints in radiotherapy for painful tumors: Analysis of original articles in the Green and Red Journals

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The frequency of use of the ICT has risen in research for PBMs.

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The frequency of the ICT use has been considerably limited for PNTs.

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None of the journal articles had investigated non-index pain.

Background and purpose

Consistent assessment of the pain response is essential for adequately comparing treatment efficacy between studies. We studied the assessment of pain endpoints in radiotherapy for painful bone metastases (PBMs) and painful non-bone-metastasis tumors (PNTs).

Material and methods

We performed a literature search in the Green (Radiotherapy and Oncology) and Red (International Journal of Radiation Oncology * Biology * Physics) Journals for full-length original articles published between 2009 and 2018. We only included articles that assessed palliation of tumor-related pain after radiotherapy. The data obtained included the definitions of pain response and assessment of non-index pain (pain other than that related to the irradiated tumors).

Results

Among the 1812 articles identified using the journals’ search function, 60 were included in the analysis. Thirty percent of the PBM articles and approximately half of the PNT articles did not report on analgesic use. Among the prospective studies, 68% of the articles on PBMs and 10% of the articles on PNTs used the International Consensus Endpoint. The PBM articles published in 2014–2018 utilized the International Consensus Endpoint more frequently than those published in 2009–2013 (p = 0.049). No articles reported information on non-index pain.

Conclusions

After the initial publication of the International Consensus Endpoint, the frequency of its use appears to have risen in PBM research; however, its use in PNT studies has been considerably limited. The International Consensus Endpoint should be consistently utilized in future studies on radiotherapy for painful tumors. Since none of the journal articles had investigated non-index pain, this issue may also needs to be addressed.

Evaluating the effectiveness of combined radiotherapy and hyperthermia for the treatment response of patients with painful bony metastases: A phase 2 clinical trial

INTRODUCTION

Since the survival time of patients with bony metastases has noticeably improved in recent years, these patients are at high risk of complications associated with this metastasis. Hence, the appropriate choice of treatment modality or combination of therapeutic approaches can lead to increasing bone pain relief, improving quality of life, etc. This study is aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of combined radiotherapy and hyperthermia for the treatment response of patients with painful bony metastases.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In a single-arm clinical trial, 23 eligible patients (14 female and 9 male) with the mean age of 67 years old and suffering from bony metastases were enrolled in the study. Two hours after radiotherapy, the patients underwent hyperthermia for 1 h in the supine position. All the patients completed the brief pain inventory (BPI) assessment tool and quality of life questionnaire (QLQ-C30) from the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) at the baseline, end of the treatment and 1, 2 and 3 months thereafter. The response to the treatment was assessed as the zero score (complete response) or two or more than two-point drop of the worst pain within the preceding 24 h (partial response) during the 3-month posttreatment.

RESULTS

All the pain intensity and interference scores, except the pain interference with the enjoyment of life score, significantly decreased. A total of 18 out of 23 patients (78%) achieved complete or partial response. The number of patients using pain relief medications decreased from 74% (n=17) at the baseline to 48% (n=11) 3 months later. Moreover, except for nausea and vomiting, appetite loss, diarrhea and financial impact problems, the patients' quality of life improved significantly in all the functional scales and symptoms within 3 months.

CONCLUSION

This study showed that using hyperthermia in combination with radiotherapy significantly ameliorated bone pain among the patients suffering from cancer with painful bony metastases.

Pain Palliation Using Hypofractionated Radiotherapy for Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer

BACKGROUND

Pain is a common symptom for patients with pancreatic cancer and is often treated using palliative radiation therapy. Standard palliative dose regimes typically consist of 2000 cGy to 3000 cGy in 5 to 10 fractions (fx). With the recent advancements in radiation dosimetric planning and delivery, the Juravinski Cancer Centre in Hamilton, Ontario, offers a hypofractionated dose of 2500 cGy in 5 fx for the improvement of pain and tumour control in selected pancreatic cancer patients. This project reviews the safety and efficacy of this prescription.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of 24 patients diagnosed with unresectable pancreatic cancer was conducted. Patient data were collected using in-house medical record systems including MOSAIQ, Meditech, and Centricity. Nonparametric data analysis tests were conducted using Minitab17.

RESULTS

Nineteen of 24 patients (79%) reported a decrease in pain levels following radiation and 13 of 18 (72%) showed good local control of the tumour on a follow-up CT scan. Around 30% of patients reported nausea and vomiting and fatigue. Only 13% reported diarrhea and 8% reported constipation. Twenty-one percent reported pain flares. All patients were able to finish the entire treatment without pauses or delays.

CONCLUSION

A palliative radiotherapy dose regime of 2500 cGy/5 fx demonstrates a potential for the effective control of pain with limited acute toxicities in patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer. This study aims to indicate the need for further prospective research comparing this regime to other standard treatments in order to determine which is most beneficial for the patient.

Predictors of Pain Palliation After Radiation Therapy for Painful Tumors: A Prospective Observational Study

PURPOSE

Although radiation therapy (RT) is an important part of treatment for cancer pain, prediction of the patient's pain response remains difficult. We evaluated the characteristics of patients, their tumors, and their pain to identify the predictors of pain palliation after RT for painful tumors.

METHODS

Our 3-center prospective observational study included patients scheduled for palliative or curative RT for painful tumors. Brief Pain Inventory data were collected at the start of RT and 1, 2, and 3 months thereafter. The pain response was assessed using the International Consensus Endpoint. The Mann-Whitney U-test was used to compare responders and nonresponders based on changes in the BPI scores. Predictors of the pain response were evaluated using the Fine-Gray model, in which death without a pain response was recorded as a competing risk. The independent variables were 11 a priori selected potential predictors with clinical relevance.

RESULTS

Of 302 analyzable patients, 262 (87%) had solid and 40 (13%) had hematologic tumors. The median total radiation dose was 30 Gy (range, 6-70.4 Gy). The pain response rate was 52% for 264 (87%) evaluable patients at 1-, 57% for 228 (75%) such patients at 2-, and 58% for 182 (60%) evaluable patients at 3-month follow-up. At 2-month follow-up, responders experienced a greater decrease in all 7 pain interference subscales of the Brief Pain Inventory compared to nonresponders. Multivariable analysis demonstrated that hematologic tumors (hazard ratio [HR], 1.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15-2.98), a neuropathic component of the index pain (HR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.05-2.14), and opioid analgesic use before RT (HR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.47-0.91) were independent significant predictors of pain response.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with hematologic tumors, a neuropathic component of the index pain, and no treatment with opioid analgesics before RT were more likely to experience pain palliation after RT.

An investigation into the incidence of pain flare in patients undergoing radiotherapy for symptomatic bone metastases

INTRODUCTION

External Beam Radiotherapy (EBRT) is a recognised intervention for symptomatic pain relief from bone metastases. Pain flare is a reported EBRT toxicity, described in 16-41% of steroid-naïve patients. This study aimed to determine incidence and duration of pain flare amongst patients within one Oncology Centre.

METHODS

Patients receiving EBRT for bone metastases were recruited to a prospective cohort study. Baseline pain scores and a daily pain/analgesia diary were recorded during EBRT and for 14 days thereafter. Pain flare was defined as a two-point increase on a pain scale or 25% increase in analgesia intake, with a return to baseline.

RESULTS

Of the thirty-two participants, 69% (n = 22) completed the diary. 41% (n = 9) patients experienced pain flare, the median duration being 3 days. Of the evaluable patients, 55% (n = 12) were male, 45% (n = 9) female. The median age was 73 years (range 40-83). The common primary sites of disease were Breast (32%) and Prostate (32%), with other sites making up the remaining 36%. The most frequent EBRT site was the spine (63%), with other treatment sites including pelvis (23%) and extremities (14%). EBRT regimes were restricted to 20 Gy in 5 treatments, received by 32% (n = 7) of patients and 8 Gy in 1 treatment (68% (n = 14)). Of these two regimes, pain flare was reported by 29% and 47% respectively.

CONCLUSION

Pain flare is a common toxicity of EBRT for bone metastases. Taking the small sample size into consideration, the incidence and duration of pain flare in patients within this single-centre study are comparable with those found in international studies.

Electrochemotherapy in the Treatment of Bone Metastases: A Phase II Trial

Introduction

Bone metastatic disease is a major cause of pain and decreased quality of life in patients with cancer. In addition to systemic therapy and pain control with narcotic analgesics, standard local treatments include palliation with radiation therapy and surgery. However, 20–30 % of patients do not respond to conventional treatments, increasing the interest in alternative therapies. We present the results of a new minimally invasive technique in the treatment of bone metastases.

Methods

Twenty-nine patients affected by painful bone metastases were treated with electrochemotherapy (ECT) from July 2009 to July 2011; the mean age was 60 years (range 37–87); 21 patients received a previous ineffective local treatment; the appendicular skeleton was affected in 15 patients while in 14 patients other sites were involved. ECT was performed using the Cliniporator Vitae under fluoroscopy or CT guidance depending on the site of the lesion. Clinical response was assessed using VAS scale and objective tumour response was evaluated according to the MD Anderson criteria for bone metastases.

Results

All patients well tolerated the procedure and no intraoperative or postoperative complications were observed. At a mean follow-up of 7 months, 24 patients were available for evaluation. 84 % of the patients (20 out of 24) referred improvement of pain ≥50 % with reduction of narcotics consumption. Radiographic evaluation after 3 months in 20 evaluable patients, showed “partial response” in 1 patient, “stable disease” in 17 and “progression” in two cases.

Discussion

Results reported in this study demonstrated ECT to be safe and feasible in the treatment of painful bone metastases even when other previous treatments were ineffective. Pain and disease progression control was achieved in the majority of the patients with consequent improvement of quality of life.

Conclusion

ECT should be considered a new feasible tool in the treatment of bone metastases in place or in combination with standard treatments; further developments are required to extend the use of this technique to spine metastases.

Patient Reported Outcomes After Radiation Therapy for Bone Metastases as a Function of Age: A Secondary Analysis of the NCIC CTG SC-Twenty-Three Randomized Trial

PURPOSE

To explore the age difference in response and patient-reported outcomes in patients with cancer having bone metastases undergoing palliative radiotherapy.

METHODS

Patients completed the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality-of-Life (QOL) Bone Metastases module (QLQ-BM22), EORTC QOL Core-15-Palliative (QLQ-C15-PAL), and Dexamethasone Symptom Questionnaire (DSQ) before a single 8-Gy radiation treatment, on days 10 and 42 after treatment. Patient demographics, performance status, analgesic consumption, BM22, C15, and DSQ were compared with multivariant analysis between patients under 75 years and 75 years and older. Multiple linear regression models were used to assess the differences between age-groups, adjusting for baseline demographics and primary disease sites.

RESULTS

There were 298 patients (170 male) with 209 (70%) less than 75 years of age. Most common primary cancer sites include lung, prostate, and breast. At baseline, younger patients had better performance status, consumed more analgesic, and reported worse scores in nausea, insomnia, and functional interference, while older patients more commonly had prostate cancer. There were no significant differences in the incidence of radiation-induced pain flare; response to radiation; changes from baseline for BM22, C15-PAL; and DSQ, nor overall survival at day 42 between the 2 groups. Responders to radiation in the elderly group reported better improvement in physical and emotional domains when compared with nonresponders.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with cancer having bone metastases undergoing palliative radiotherapy, there was no significant difference in general with age in response to radiation and patient-reported outcomes. Palliative radiotherapy should be offered to elderly patients when needed.

Modern Palliative Treatments for Metastatic Bone Disease: Awareness of Advantages, Disadvantages, and Guidance

BACKGROUND

Metastatic disease is the most common malignancy of the bone. Prostate, breast, lung, kidney, and thyroid cancer account for 80% of skeletal metastases. Bone metastases are associated with significant skeletal morbidity including severe bone pain, pathologic fractures, spinal cord or nerve roots compression, and malignant hypercalcemia. These events compromise greatly the quality of life of the patients. The treatment of cancer patients with bone metastases is mostly aimed at palliation.

OBJECTIVE

This article aims to present these palliative treatments for the patients with bone metastases, summarize the clinical applications, and review the techniques and results.

METHODS

It gives an extensive overview of the possibilities of palliation in patients with metastatic cancer to the bone.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Currently, modern treatments are available for the palliative management of patients with metastatic bone disease. These include modern radiation therapy, chemotherapy, embolization, electrochemotherapy, radiofrequency ablation, and high-intensity focused ultrasound. As such it is of interest for all physicians with no experience with these developments to make palliative procedures safer and more reliable.

Classification of painful bone metastases as mild, moderate, or severe using both EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL and EORTC QLQ-BM22

PURPOSE

Previous studies have determined optimal cut points (CPs) for the classification of pain severity as mild, moderate, or severe using only the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) or the BPI in conjunction with a quality of life (QOL) tool. The purpose of our study was to determine the optimal CPs based on correlation with only QOL outcomes.

METHODS

We conducted an analysis of 298 patients treated with radiation therapy for painful bone metastases on a phase III randomized trial. Prior to treatment, patients provided their worst pain score on a scale of 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst possible pain), as well as completed the European Organization of Cancer Research and Treatment (EORTC) QOL Questionnaire Bone Metastases module (QLQ-BM22) and the EORTC QOL Questionnaire Core-15 Palliative (QLQ-C15-PAL). Optimal CPs were determined to be those that yielded the largest F ratio for the between category effect on each subscale of the QLQ-BM22 and QLQ-C15-PAL using the multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA).

RESULTS

The two largest F ratios for Wilk's λ, Pillai's Trace, and Hotelling's Trace were for CPs 5,6 and 5,7. Combining both, the optimal CPs to differentiate between mild, moderate, and severe pain were 5 and 7. Pain scores of 1-5, 6, and 7-10 were classified as mild, moderate, and severe, respectively. Patients with severe pain experienced greater functional interference and poorer QOL when compared to those with mild pain.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that, based on the impact of pain on QOL measures, pain scores should be classified as follows: 1-5 as mild pain, 6 as moderate pain, and 7-10 as severe pain. Optimal CPs vary depending on the type of outcome measurement used.

Quality of life after palliative radiotherapy in bone metastases: A literature review

Objective

To investigate the quality of life (QOL) following palliative radiotherapy for painful bone metastases.

Methods

A literature search was conducted in OvidSP Medline (1946–Jan Week 4 2014), Embase (1947–Week 5 2014), and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Dec 2013) databases. The search was limited to English. Subject headings and keywords included ‘palliative radiation’, ‘cancer palliative therapy’, ‘bone metastases’, ‘quality of life’, and ‘pain’. All studies (prospective or retrospective) reporting change in QOL before and after palliative radiotherapy for painful bone metastases were included.

Results

Eighteen articles were selected from a total of 1730. The most commonly used tool to evaluate QOL was the Brief Pain Inventory. Seventeen studies collected data prospectively. An improvement in symptoms and functional interference scores following radiotherapy was observed in all studies. The difference in changes in QOL between responders and non responders was inconsistently reported.

Conclusion

QOL improves in patients who respond to palliative radiotherapy for painful bone metastases.

International patterns of practice in radiotherapy for bone metastases: A review of the literature

PURPOSE

Radiation therapy is the standard treatment for symptomatic bone metastases. Several randomized control trials and meta-analyses have concluded a similar efficacy in pain relief when comparing single versus multiple fraction regimes. However, there continues to be reluctance to conform to published guidelines that recommend a single treatment for the palliation of painful bone metastases. The purpose of this literature review is to summarize international patterns of practice, and to determine if guidelines recommending single fraction treatment have been implemented in clinical care.

METHODS

A literature search was conducted in Ovid Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Central. Search words included, 'bone metastases', 'radiation therapy', 'radiotherapy', 'patterns of practice', and 'dose fractionation'. Both prospective and retrospective studies that investigated the prescription of radiotherapy to bone metastases using actual patient databases were included. Articles were excluded if they investigated hypothetical scenarios.

RESULTS

Six hundred and thirteen results were generated from the literature search. Twenty-six articles met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 11 were Canadian, 8 were European, 6 were American, and 1 was Australian. The use of single fraction radiotherapy (SFRT) ranged from 3% to 75%, but was generally lower in American studies. Choice of fractionation depended on a variety of factors, including patient age, prognosis, site of irradiation, and physician experience.

CONCLUSION

Despite the publication of robust randomized control trials, meta-analyses, and clinical practice guidelines recommending the use of a single treatment to palliate uncomplicated bone metastasis, SFRT is internationally underutilized.

The cost-effectiveness of external beam radiation therapy in bone metastases

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Bone is the third common organ affected by metastases, and about 70% of patients with breast cancer or prostate cancer will develop bone metastases. External beam radiation therapy (EBRT) is a mainstay of treatment for patients with bone metastases. However, the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of EBRT in patients with bone metastases have not been adequately understood. The current work aims at reviewing recent cost-effectiveness literature of EBRT on patients with bone metastases.

RECENT FINDINGS

Studies have consistently shown that EBRT is associated with significant pain relief, and existing cost-effectiveness studies have suggested that single fraction radiation therapy is more cost effective than multiple fraction radiation therapy in pain palliation. However, due to the high dependence of the data among these studies and the absence of significant amount of information, the current findings may require supports from further research in validating the results.

SUMMARY

This work sheds the light on future economic models in applying individual preference to survey questionnaires, such as, contingent valuation/conjoint choice, to carefully measure utility improvements from a treatment. In addition, research with focus on patient-centered outcome is encouraged to help clinician better understand patients' perceived outcomes of EBRT.

Radiotherapy for bone metastases: practice in Norway 1997-2007. A national registry-based study

Numerous randomised clinical trials have shown that the efficacy of single fraction radiotherapy for metastatic bone pain corresponds to that of multiple fractions of radiotherapy for the majority of patients. It is not clear to which extent single fraction radiotherapy has been implemented into clinical practice.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A Norwegian national registry-based study was conducted, including all radiotherapy schedules of 8 Gy × 1 and 3 Gy × 10 delivered to bone metastases in 1997-2007. Binomial regression analyses were used to study whether treatment centre, primary diagnosis, anatomical region irradiated, age, sex, and travel distance, were associated with the choice of fractionation.

RESULTS

A total of 14 380 radiotherapy episodes were identified. During the period 31% of the treatments were delivered as 8 Gy × 1. The proportion of single fraction treatments increased from 16% in 1997 to 41% in 2007. There were substantial differences in the proportion of single fraction treatments between the treatment centres (range 25-54%). These differences persisted after adjustment for sex, age, primary diagnosis, anatomical region, and travel distance.

CONCLUSIONS

The study demonstrates an underutilisation of single fraction treatment for bone metastases in Norway during the study period.

The role of palliative external beam radiation therapy in boney metastases pain management

Bone is the third most common organ affected by neoplastic metastases, and about 70% of patients with breast cancer or prostate cancer that develop metastases will have osseous involvement. As part of a multi-pronged approach to pain management in these patients, external beam radio therapy (EBRT) continues to be a mainstay of treatment for metastatic bone pain. This article reviews the role of radiation therapy in palliative management strategies for patients with bone metastases, including the clinical and cost-effectiveness of single fraction (SFRT) versus multiple fraction (MFRT) EBRT in pain relief. Studies indicate that SFRT is more cost-effective than MFRT, yet both are clinically effective in pain management. Therefore, EBRT use retains an important place among analgesia, bone modifying agents, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy in improving quality of life (QoL) and reducing morbidity from metastatic bone pain.

New Considerations in the Design of Clinical Trials for Bone Metastases

Palliative radiotherapy (RT) is prescribed to patients with bone metastases to alleviate symptoms and improve quality of life. The lack of consistent endpoints for such trials has made cross study comparison difficult and has led to contradictory conclusions. The International Bone Metastases Consensus Working Party was established to create a standard set of endpoints and recommendations for future clinical trials. Recommendations were included regarding eligibility criteria, pain assessments, follow-up assessments, timing, as well as radiation techniques. Suggestions were also made to facilitate the ease with which different studies could be compared as well as to encourage widespread consistency in certain aspects of trial design. Investigators conducting clinical trials in bone metastases should continue to adopt these recommendations to ensure consistent guidelines based on the most recent literature.

Assessment of health-related quality of life with the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C15-PAL after palliative radiotherapy of bone metastases

AIMS

To assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL) after palliative radiotherapy for painful bone metastases using a palliative questionnaire (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C15-PAL).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients scheduled to receive palliative radiotherapy for painful bone metastases (n=178) completed the QLQ-C15-PAL questionnaire before treatment and at week 1, week 2, month 1 and month 2 after the first day of radiotherapy. A partial response (PR) or a complete response (CR) to radiotherapy was defined according to the International Consensus criteria. General linear regression was used to analyse changes in QOL in the entire cohort and within responders and non-responders to radiotherapy at all follow-up periods.

RESULTS

The overall radiotherapy response was 45% at week 1 (n=21) (41% PR, 4% CR), 62% at week 2 (n=28) (58% PR, 4% CR), 62% at month 1 (n=58) (60% PR, 2% CR) and 65% at month 2 (n=38) (60% PR, 5% CR). In general, a significant decrease in pain (P<0.0001), insomnia (P<0.0001) and constipation (P=0.004) was seen by month 1 after radiotherapy. In patients who responded to radiotherapy, overall QOL significantly improved by month 2 after radiotherapy (P=0.002). Radiotherapy responders also reported an improvement in emotional functioning together with a decrease in symptoms such as insomnia and constipation at month 1. No improvements were seen in any of the QLQ-C15-PAL scores for patients whose pain did not respond to radiotherapy.

CONCLUSION

Radiotherapy responders showed not only an improvement in pain, but also in HRQOL as assessed by QLQ-C15-PAL. As early as 1 week after radiotherapy for bone metastases, a pain relief response was reported by patients.