Criteria for Palliation of Bone Metastases - Clinical Applications
The management of patients with metastatic bone pain must be a multidisciplinary approach and includes the use of analgesia, radiotherapy, surgery, chemotherapy, hormone treatment, radioisotopes and bisphosphonates.
Analgesia, with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, is the first option in most patients, progressing to stronger opioids as the intensity of pain rises. These drugs produce unwanted side effects such as nausea, sedation, and constipation. Local external radiotherapy or surgery can be used for localized metastatic disease and hemibody radiotherapy might be suitable for patients with disease extending to one region of the body. In patients with widespread painful bone involvement, bone-seeking radiopharmaceuticals provide a promising pain-control strategy.
The Criteria for Palliation of Bone Metastases – Clinical Applications document is downloadable here in three languages. This document should be seen as a guide and useful resource both for researchers and practitioners alike in both radiation oncology and nuclear medicine fields.