RETREATMENT WITH RADIOTHERAPY FOR PAINFUL BONE METASTASES

Purpose: To evaluate the response to reirradiation of painful bone metastases following initial treatment with radiotherapy. Methods and Materials: A retrospective analysis of 105 consecutive patients treated with palliative radiotherapy for painful bone metastases. A total of 280 individual treatment sites were identified, of which 57 were retreated once and 8 were retreated twice. Results: The overall response rate to initial treatment was 84% for pain relief, and at first retreatment this was 87%. Seven of eight patients retreated a second time also achieved pain relief. No relation to radiation dose, primary tumor type, or site was seen. Conclusions: In patients relapsing after radiotherapy to painful bone metastases who have responded initially, reirradiation can be recommended with a similar probability of response.