Elderly Patients With Painful Bone Metastases Should be Offered Palliative Radiotherapy
- Rapid Response Radiotherapy Program, Department of Radiation Oncology, Odette Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON (Canada)
Purpose: To investigate the efficacy of palliative radiotherapy (RT) in relieving metastatic bone pain in elderly patients. Methods and Materials: The response to RT for palliation of metastatic bone pain was evaluated from a prospective database of 558 patients between 1999 and 2008. The pain scores and analgesic intake were used to calculate the response according to the International Bone Metastases Consensus Working Party palliative RT endpoints. Subgroup analyses for age and other demographic information were performed. Results: No significant difference was found in the response rate in patients aged >=65, >=70, and >=75 years compared with younger patients at 1, 2, or 3 months after RT. The response was found to be significantly related to the performance status. Conclusion: Age alone did not affect the response to palliative RT for bone metastases. Elderly patients should be referred for palliative RT for their painful bone metastases, regardless of age, because they receive equal benefit from the treatment.
- OSTI ID:
- 21372219
- Journal Information:
- International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics, Vol. 76, Issue 5; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2009.03.019; PII: S0360-3016(09)00438-6; Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; ISSN 0360-3016
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Fluorodeoxyglucose Uptake on Positron Emission Tomography Is a Useful Predictor of Long-Term Pain Control After Palliative Radiation Therapy in Patients With Painful Bone Metastases: Results of a Single-Institute Prospective Study
Patterns of Practice in Palliative Radiotherapy for Painful Bone Metastases: Impact of a Regional Rapid Access Clinic on Access to Care