Authors' recommendations: Newer, more effective treatments for cancer are being developed, allowing patients to survive longer with more advanced stages of cancer. Approximately one-third of patients with advanced-stage cancer will develop bone metastases. These can cause severe pain and greatly decrease quality of life. The current care for palliation of painful bone metastases is external beam radiation therapy but it is effective for only about 70% to 80% of patients, and pain recurs in approximately one-quarter of patients. Also, there are limits to the amount of radiation to which a patient can be safely exposed, and this therapy increases the risk of fracture in the treated bone. Alternative treatments are available if radiation is not an option: chemotherapy, bisphosphonates, laser ablation, radiofrequency ablation, hormonal therapy, surgery, cryotherapy, and analgesics. Each of these options has its own potential for side effects and intolerability. There is a need for another safe option to treat bone metastases that would allow for repeated and unlimited treatments with no or minimal side effects.

Project Status: Completed

Year Published: 2013

URL for published report: The report may be purchased from: http://www.hayesinc.com/hayes/crd/?crd=15732

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: United States

Organisation Name: HAYES, Inc.

Contact Address: 157 S. Broad Street, Suite 200, Lansdale, PA 19446, USA. Tel: 215 855 0615; Fax: 215 855 5218

Contact Name: saleinfo@hayesinc.com

Contact Email: saleinfo@hayesinc.com

Copyright: 2013 Winifred S. Hayes, Inc