[Palliative Radiotherapy - An Important Tool in the Event Of Painful Bone Metastases]

Palliative Radiotherapy - An Important Tool in the Event Of Painful Bone Metastases Abstract. Many cancer patients suffer from metastases at an advanced stage, especially bone metastases, which are the third most frequent site of metastases and often occur in prostate, breast and lung carcinomas. Potential consequences are pain, pathological fractures and myelon compression with loss of function. Often there is a rapid reduction in the quality of life of the already burdened patients. Treatment is performed in an interdisciplinary setting with oncologists, radiation oncologists, palliative care and pain physicians as well as surgeons. Local radiotherapy is an established treatment option in order to achieve rapid, uncomplicated symptom control with few side effects and an improvement in the quality of life. Analgesic radiotherapy for bone metastases has been shown to have a response rate of up to 60-80 %.