Strontium-89 therapy: strontium kinetics and dosimetry in two patients treated for metastasising osteosarcoma

We report a study of strontium kinetics in two patients who received 89Sr therapy for disseminated osteogenic sarcoma, together with estimates of absorbed dose to the principal metastases and to bone marrow. In neither patient did tumour uptake of strontium have a significant effect on whole-body retention. In one patient, whole-body strontium kinetics agreed closely with the ICRP standard model, while in the second, retention was extremely prolonged, probably due to hypertrophic osteoarthropathy. Strontium-85 scintigraphy, surface counting and high-resolution whole-body profiles agreed in showing that in both patients tumour turnover of strontium was very rapid, with a biological half-life of only a few days. Absorbed dose to tumour was found to be comparable in magnitude to the mean bone-marrow dose. We have no reason to believe that 89Sr therapy was of clinical benefit to either patient.