Elderly patients with painful bone metastases should be offered palliative radiotherapy.

Abstract

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 >or=65, >or=70, and >or=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.

• Authors: Sarah Campos, Roseanna Presutti, Liying Zhang, Nadia Salvo, Amanda Hird, May Tsao, Elizabeth A Barnes, Cyril Danjoux, Arjun Sahgal, Gunita Mitera, Emily Sinclair, Carlo DeAngelis, Janet Nguyen, Julie Napolskikh, Edward Chow
• Journal: International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics (Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys) Vol. 76 Issue 5 Pg. 1500-6 (Apr 2010) ISSN: 1879-355X [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 19540056 (Publication Type: Evaluation Study, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Analgesics

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Analgesics (therapeutic use)
• Bone Neoplasms (radiotherapy, secondary)
• Female
• Humans
• Karnofsky Performance Status
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Pain (radiotherapy)
• Pain Measurement
• Palliative Care (methods)