(89)strontinm in the management of painful sceletal metastases

Purpose: To make a review of the literature of (89)strontium-chloride and a retrospective study of time to palliative intended external irradiation, n umber of portals and overall-survival after (89)strontium-chloride therapy. Results. In total 93 patients were treated 116 times with (89)strontium. T he patients with prostatic carcinoma received 91% of all (89)strontium ther apies. Median over-all survival was 10 months after injection. In those cas es when (89)strontium was given before palliative radiotherapy, the average of total number of local fields was significantly lower (1.1 versus 4.1) c ompared to those cases where local fields preceded (89)strontium therapy. H owever (89)new external irradiation after (89)strontium injection time to w as equal between these groups (3.8 versus 2.9 months). Conclusion: A review of literature conclude that (89)strontium is effective for the reduction o f pain originating from osteoblastic metastases. It also reduce the need fo r external radiotherapy and therefore is cost-effective. However, (89)stron tium is more effective in an early phase of the metastatic disease and pref erably as an adjuvance to external radiotherapy.