[Effectiveness of radiation therapy in metastatic bone tumors]

The effectiveness of radiation therapy for metastatic bone tumor in 61 patients with 80 lesions has been evaluated. Relief from pain resulted in 87% all the treated lesions and this continued for more than two years in eight lesions of seven patients. There was no statistical difference in the pain relief achieved among the sites and the histologies of the primary tumors, and also no difference was noted as to the treated regions. Pain relief from the lesions of a squamous cell carcinoma tended to begin with smaller doses when compared with that of an adenocarcinoma. Our results suggest that radiation therapy in general appears to be an effective technique in achieving long term control of pain, but for some patients those with a generalized metastases or an uncontrolled primary tumor, for example, this tedious treatment has limited value and so should be withheld.