Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2002, 197 (2)

Six Gray Single Dose Radiotherapy in the Treatment
of Metastatic Bone Pain

METIN GUDEN, ERCAN KURT¹ and CUNEYT ULUTIN

Department Radiation Oncology, ¹Department Anesthesiology and Reanimation Gulhane
Military Medicine Academy, Ankara, Turkey

Bone metastases are observed in approximately 50% of patients with cancer and these are essential to influence the quality of life. As one of the most effective means of therapy for patients with bone metastases, radiotherapy can be applied as fractional and single dose. In this prospective study, we analyzed the pain relief after 6 Gy single dose irradiation in 62 patients with painful bone metastases. This was assessed by an 11-point scale questionnaire. In 88.7% of the treatments response was obtained after the single-dose radiotherapy (37.1% complete response, 51.6% partial response, 11.3% no response). In approximately 53% of the treatments the response initiated within one week. We concluded that a single dose of 6 Gy was very effective in the palliation of painful bone metastases.

Keywords —— radiotherapy; palliation; bone metastases; pain

© 2002 Tohoku University Medical Press

===============================

Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2002, 197, 111-114

Address for reprints: Metin Guden, M.D., GATA Radyasyon Onkolojisi, AD 06010 Etlik, Ankara, Turkey.

e-mail: meting60@hotmail.com