[Radiotherapy of osseous metastases in breast cancer]

1121 patients were treated for breast cancer over a period of 10 years in the Department of Radiotherapy-Radio-Oncology-of the University of Münster. 959 of these patients were regularly cared for in the tumor outpatient department after the treatment. Of these, 354 patients had, or developed later, distant metastases. Metastases were distributed frequently in the skeleton in 167 cases (47.2%). Radiation therapy was carried out under high-voltage conditions. As a rule, pain-free condition was achieved after 15 to 30 Gy (86.3% of all cases). After 30 to 40 Gy, in cases of extreme osteolyses also after higher focal doses, recalcification was evident in most cases. The average survival time after diagnosis of bone metastases was 11.8 months and 11.2 months without therapy.