Palliative hemiskeletal irradiation for widespread metastatic prostate cancer: a comparison of single dose and fractionated regimens

Radium-223 outcomes after multiple lines of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer therapy in clinical practice: implication of pre-treatment spinal epidural disease

BACKGROUND

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is not routinely performed before initiating radium-223 to document spinal epidural disease. However, radium-223 decays to form α-particles with very short path lengths that may not reach the epidural space. Herein, we investigate the impact of baseline spinal epidural disease on metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients treated with radium-223.

METHODS

Between October 2013 to December 2014, 41 consecutive mCRPC patients at a large tertiary cancer center were prescribed radium-223 as part of standard of care. 29% of patients had pre-treatment epidural disease (posMRI), 27% had no epidural disease (negMRI), and 44% did not have a baseline MRI (noMRI). All patients had post-treatment spinal imaging. Actuarial survival times were calculated for overall survival (OS), spinal axis radiographic progression-free survival (spinePFS) and epidural progression-free survival (epiPFS) from time of first radium-223 treatment.

RESULTS

For patients with posMRI (n=12), noMRI (n=18) and negMRI (n=11) cumulative rates of development or worsening of epidural disease and/or high-grade cord compression at time of last follow-up were 83%, 44% and 9%, respectively (P=0.001). For the posMRI, noMRI and negMRI groups the median OS was 6.3 months, 12.6 months and not reached (P=0.01), the median spinePFS was 3.2 months, 4.8 months and not reached (P=0.01), and the median epiPFS was 3.2 months, 10.4 months and not reached (P=0.001). Completing less than six cycles of radium-223 was significantly associated with worse OS (P<0.0001), spinePFS (P=0.007) and epiPFS (P=0.01). Greater than or equal to twenty osseous lesions pre-treatment was significantly associated with worse spinePFS (P=0.001) and epiPFS (P=0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

In a heavily pre-treated small cohort, patients with baseline epidural disease frequently progressed to spinal cord compression and early cessation of radium-223 therapy. Studies are needed to determine the optimal timing of radium-223 with other mCRPC therapies given the predilection for epidural disease and treatment failure after multiple prior lines of mCRPC therapy.

The role of radiation therapy in the treatment of metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer

In the setting of castrate-resistant prostate cancer, patients present with a variety of symptoms, including bone metastases, spinal cord compression and advanced pelvic disease. Fortunately, a variety of radiotherapeutic options exist for palliation. This article focuses on these options, including both external beam radiotherapy and radiopharmaceuticals.

Update in palliative management of hormone refractory cancer of prostate

Hormone refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) is an incurable disease and as in the pressure sensitive adhesive era the median survival of patients is increasing, these men increasingly develop symptomatic problems as a result of advanced local and or metastatic disease during their progression to death. Recently, it has been shown that it is possible to improve survival in this group of patients with use of chemotherapy which reinforces the need of better options in palliative care. We discus the various clinical problems (Part I) and treatment options of palliative care (Part II) and try to formulate an action plan in this review.

Management of the Spectrum of Hormone Refractory Prostate Cancer

INTRODUCTION

In its advanced stages, hormone refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) is an incurable condition which consists of a spectrum of disease. This requires an integrated multidisciplinary approach by an uro-oncologic team supported by radiologists, skeletal surgeons and palliative care. Aim of this review was to critically evaluate the current and potential approaches to patients affected by HRPC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A comprehensive evaluation of available published data included analysis of published full-length papers that were identified with Medline and Cancerlit from January 1981 to January 2006. Official proceedings of internationally known scientific societies held in the same time period were also assessed.

RESULTS

Most men with hormone refractory prostate cancer will die of their disease in the absence of intercurrent illness, and the various conditions arising as a consequence of local and distal cancer progression commonly lead to a spectrum of morbidity requiring treatment. Recent data regarding docetaxel-based chemotherapy have shown small but significant improvements in survival and improvement in quality of life in men receiving treatment. However, this therapy may not be suitable for all patients. New agents used alone or in combination with docetaxel currently are under trial in an attempt to provide much needed improvements in outcome. Bone-targeted treatments, particularly late-generation bisphosphonates, have added to the range of options, reducing the incidence of skeletal complications in some men. Further work is needed to target their use more effectively, to explore their efficacy in combination with existing proven therapies and to develop new approaches to treat bone metastases. Complications arising as a consequence of upper and lower tract dysfunction, haematologic, neurologic and psychologic disorders are common. These complications often are amenable to effective treatment, but interventions may engender difficult clinical and ethical decisions.

CONCLUSIONS

Although HRPC is incurable, it is not untreatable, and that the clinical management embraces not just chemotherapy, but many interventional and supportive therapies. A holistic and supportive approach to patient care is vital for optimal management, and is best provided by a coordinated, multidisciplinary team including urologists and oncologists.

Radiation Therapy and Radio-nuclides for Palliation of Bone Pain

Bone pain from metastatic prostate cancer can be effectively palliated by a single fraction of 8 Gy with no increase in toxicity, which can occur with more protracted fractionation schemes. Re-treatment, if required, is simple and effective. For multiple painful sites on the same side of the diaphragm, hemi-body radiotherapy is rapidly effective; pre-medication with odanstetron and steroids has markedly improved tolerance. For multiple painful sites on both sides of the diaphragm, radiopharmaceuticals can be considered but will not treat adjacent soft tissue disease or neurologic compromise.

Palliation of bone pain in prostate cancer using chemotherapy and strontium-89. A randomized phase II study

Strontium-89 is an established alternative for the alleviation of bone pain in prostate cancer. There are few data evaluating the effect on pain of palliative chemotherapy. The aim of this randomized phase II study was to assess and compare the analgesic efficacy of strontium-89 and chemotherapy (FEM=5-FU, epirubicin, and mitomycin C) in 35 patients with disseminated, hormone-refractory prostate cancer suffering from persisting bone pain despite analgesic treatment. In order to minimize the risk for imbalances regarding the two patient groups, a double-blind randomization was performed. A significant reduction in pain intensity and pain frequency was registered in both patient groups (P < 0.01 in both groups after 3 weeks). Side effects were generally mild in the strontium-89 group and significantly more severe in the FEM group. The effect of FEM on pain is surprising as chemotherapy has generally only limited effect on tumor growth in bone metastases due to prostate cancer. A possible explanation is that FEM has an inhibitory activity on the inflammatory component of metastases.

Palliative radiation therapy

Radiation is an effective modality to aid in symptom management of patients with metastatic disease. The type and duration of treatment depends on the Karnofsky performance status (KPS) of the patient and type and status of the cancer. Abbreviated treatment regimens may be favored in this patient population. They provide quick palliation without the patient and family spending significant time traveling back and forth to the treatment center. Hypofractionated regimens have been found effective in relieving pain from metastatic bone disease, relieving obstruction from locally advanced lung cancer, bleeding from gynecologic cancers, and hematuria from advanced bladder cancer. More aggressive regimens such as whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT) and stereotactic radiosurgery may be appropriate for select patients with a good KPS. Radiation has also been found to be effective in palliating recurrent cancer that has already received definitive radiation.

Palliation of metastatic bone pain: single fraction versus multifraction radiotherapy--a systematic review of randomised trials

Recent randomised studies have reported that single fraction radiotherapy is as effective as multifraction radiotherapy in relieving pain caused by bone metastasis. However, there are concerns about the higher re-treatment rates and the efficacy of preventing future complications, such as pathological fracture and spinal cord compression, by single fraction radiotherapy. A systematic review of randomised studies, examining the effectiveness of single fraction radiotherapy versus multiple fraction radiotherapy for metastatic bone pain relief and prevention of bone complications, was conducted to help answer this controversy. Randomised studies comparing single fraction radiotherapy with multifraction radiotherapy on metastatic bone pain were identified. The analyses were performed using intention-to-treat principle. The results were pooled using meta-analysis to estimate the effect of treatment on pain response, re-treatment rate, pathological fracture rate and spinal cord compression rate. Twelve trials involving 3621 sites were included in the meta-analysis. The overall pain-response rates for single fraction radiotherapy and multifraction radiotherapy were 60% (1080/1814) and 59% (1060/1807), respectively, giving an odds ratio (OR) of 1.03 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.90-1.19), indicating no difference between the two radiotherapy schedules. There was also no difference in complete pain response rates for single fraction radiotherapy (34% [508/1476]) and multifraction radiotherapy (32% [475/1473]), with an OR of 1.10 (950% CI 0.94-1.30). Patients treated by single fraction radiotherapy had a higher re-treatment rate, with 21.5% (267/1240) requiring re-treatment compared with 7.4% (91/1236) of patients in the multifraction radiotherapy arm (OR 3.44 [95% CI 2.67-4.43]). The pathological fracture rate was also higher in single fraction radiotherapy arm patients. Three per cent (37/1240) of patients treated by single fraction radiotherapy developed pathological fracture compared with 1.6% (20/1236) for those treated by multifraction radiotherapy (OR 1.82 [95% CI 1.06-3.11]). The spinal cord compression rates were similar for both arms (OR 1.41 [95% CI 0.72-2.75]). Single fraction radiotherapy was as effective as multifraction radiotherapy in relieving metastatic bone pain. However, the re-treatment rate and pathological fracture rate were higher after single fraction radiotherapy. Studies with quality of life and health economic end points are warranted to find out the optimal treatment option.

[Current multidisciplinary treatment of metastatic prostatic cancer]

Prostate cancer is one of the commonest causes of cancer-related death in the western world. The morbi-mortality associated is usually a direct consequence of metastatic spread to bone, in up to 50% of patients at first presentation. The aim of treatment of metastatic patients is to alleviate and to prevent the distressing symptoms. The approach include hormone-therapy, radiotherapy, radio-nuclides, surgery, chemotherapy, bisphosphonates and new drugs (agents that inhibit angiogenesis, immunotherapy and therapies that affect the differentiation). Decisions about therapy must also take into consideration the androgen-dependent or independent, so hormone-therapy is the first step of the treatment; the number and location of bone metastases; the severity of symptoms; the available of therapies; the status performance of patient; the prognosis and the cost-effect relationship. Some treatments have established indications whereas others are still in process of study in order to determinate their efficacy, their model of treatment and their indications. This article revises and updates these treatments.

Palliation of metastatic bone pain: single fraction versus multifraction radiotherapy - a systematic review of the randomised trials

BACKGROUND

Recent randomised studies reported that single fraction radiotherapy was as effective as multifraction radiotherapy in relieving pain due to bone metastasis. However, there are concerns about the higher re-treatment rates and the efficacy of preventing future complications such as pathological fracture and spinal cord compression by single fraction radiotherapy.

OBJECTIVES

To undertake a systematic review and meta-analysis of single fraction radiotherapy versus multifraction radiotherapy for metastatic bone pain relief and prevention of bone complications.

SEARCH STRATEGY

Trials were identified through MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cancerlit, reference lists of relevant articles and conference proceedings. Relevant data was extracted.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised studies comparing single fraction radiotherapy with multifraction radiotherapy on metastatic bone pain

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

The analyses were performed using intention-to-treat principle. The results were pooled using meta-analysis to estimate the effect of treatment on pain response, re-treatment rate, pathological fracture rate and spinal cord compression rate.

MAIN RESULTS

Eleven trials that involved 3435 patients were identified. Of 3435 patients, 52 patients were randomised more than once for different painful bone metastasis sites. Altogether, 3487 painful sites were randomised. The trials included patients with painful bone metastases of any primary sites, but were mainly prostate, breast and lung. The overall pain response rates for single fraction radiotherapy and multifraction radiotherapy were 60% (1059/1779) and 59% (1038/1769) respectively, giving an odds ratio of 1.03 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.89 - 1.19) indicating no difference between the two radiotherapy schedules. There was also no difference in complete pain response rates for single fraction radiotherapy (34% [497/1441]) and multifraction radiotherapy (32% [463/1435]) with an odds ratio of 1.11 (95%CI 0.94-1.30). Patients treated by single fraction radiotherapy had a higher re-treatment rate with 21.5% (267/1240) requiring re-treatment compared to 7.4% (91/1236) of patients in the multifraction radiotherapy arm (odds ratio 3.44 [95%CI 2.67-4.43]). The pathological fracture rate was also higher in single fraction radiotherapy arm patients. Three percent (37/1240) of patients treated by single fraction radiotherapy developed pathological fracture compared to 1.6% (20/1236) for those treated by multifraction radiotherapy (odds ratio 1.82 [95%CI 1.06-3.11]). The spinal cord compression rates were similar for both arms (odds ratio 1.41 [95%CI 0.72-2.75]). Repeated analyses excluding dropout patients gave similar results.

REVIEWERS' CONCLUSIONS

Single fraction radiotherapy was as effective as multifraction radiotherapy in relieving metastatic bone pain. However, the re-treatment rate and pathological fracture rates were higher after single fraction radiotherapy. Studies with quality of life and health economic end points are warranted to find out the optimal treatment option.

Novel therapeutic approaches to cancer patients with bone metastasis

Bone metastases are a common event in advanced cancer. Breast, lung, prostate and thyroid neoplasms have striking osteotropism. Bone metastatic cancer may be associated with catastrophic consequences for the patients. Therefore, new strategies are warranted in order to reduce the incidence of bone metastases and to palliative established skeletal disease. External beam radiation therapy, endocrine treatments, chemotherapy, bisphosphonates and radioisotopes are all important. Bisphosphonates have become the treatment of choice for tumor-induced hypercalcaemia and more recently they have been used alone or in combination with cytotoxic agents in the palliative treatment of patients with bone metastases. The results are encouraging. Currently, new bisphosphonates that are a hundred times more powerful with respect to clodronate and pamidronate are under investigation. The treatment of metastases to bone and mechanisms of pain relief after radiation therapy are poorly understood. Up to date, there are not standard criteria for the irradiation of bone metastases and bone pain relief may be reached using a variety of fractionation schemes. Radionuclide therapy is the systemic use of radioisotopes for bone pain. It is currently regarded as suitable for comparison with wide-field irradiation, but appears to have major disadvantages in terms of pain relief and toxicity.

Pain assessment and management

Assessment and management of pain is crucial to the success of any program of care for dying patients and their families. With appropriate assessment and management, often using home health or hospice teams, pain can be controlled in more than 90% of patients. This article focuses on the symptomatic care of patients who are dying. The legal and regulatory issues that may inhibit delivery of adequate opioid therapy are also reviewed.

Palliative radiotherapy of bone metastases: an evaluation of outcome measures

The objective of this study was to identify and evaluate important patient-based outcomes that are specific to the palliative radiotherapy of bone metastases. We first conducted a literature review to identify and evaluate outcomes that are currently in use. To identify outcomes that are important to patients, in-depth patient interviews were conducted. Finally, issues identified through the interviews were quantified through a prospective survey, in which patients completed a questionnaire prior to commencing radiotherapy and again after 6 weeks. In our literature review, we found that there was no standardized definition of either response to radiotherapy or assessment of pain relief. Pain measurement in many studies was undertaken using very simple measures, which could possibly yield inaccurate results. The vast majority of studies did not include quality of life as an endpoint. The patient interviews and survey showed that chronic pain and associated limitation of movement were the disease symptoms causing the most concern. Having a clear, alert mind and being able in self-care were the aspects of daily living given the highest priority. Sustained pain relief and minimizing the risk of future complications were the main priorities relating to radiotherapy treatment. The practical aspects of treatment (travelling distance, remaining at home and brevity of treatment) were of least importance. This study indicates the complexity of evaluating the outcomes of palliative interventions, and confirms the deficiencies of pain relief as the primary end-point. The patient's quality of life is affected by many factors other than pain (such as limited mobility, reduced performance, side effects and impaired role functioning); hence a wider range of end-points is required. Greater sensitivity is required than in currently used end-points. Concurrent diseases as well as concurrent therapies can make it difficult to attribute effects with precision. Unless such factors are considered in research design, the results may prove unreliable.

Clinical trials of immunotherapy for advanced prostate cancer

There is a lack of effective therapeutic regimens for advanced hormone-refractory prostate cancer (HRPC). Recent combination regimens of chemotherapy have improved management of HRPC. Neither systemic chemotherapy nor radiation regimens have significantly improved survival. Conventional systemic cytokine therapy has had limited efficacy in the treatment of advanced prostate cancer patients and its toxicity is severe. Combinations of multiple biological response modifiers for treatment of this disease also have limited efficacy. Results from phase II trials have shown that the combination of interferon-alpha and interleukin-2 therapy and the infusion of dendritic cells primed with peptides of prostate specific membrane antigen are promising. The former showed 31% response using the National Prostatic Cancer Project criteria, and the latter showed 27% of objective partial response with a reduction of >50% prostate specific antigen level. The toxicity of these two regimens was tolerated by patients. New approaches with tumor vaccines in conjunction with cytokine gene therapy have also been investigated. The clinical responses of these trials have been limited but promising. Immunotherapy may become an effective modality of prostate cancer treatment in the future.

Fractionation and outcomes with palliative radiation therapy

A dose-response relationship can be established for local control of a variety of malignancies treated with radiation, yet palliation of symptoms oftentimes does not have a clear dose-response relationship. It is important that palliation be achieved with as efficient a fractionation schedule as possible in patients with limited life expectancy and with as few side effects as possible. This article reviews the literature addressing optimal schedules of radiation for palliation based on prognostic factors.

Advances in pain management for older adult patients

Management of pain is crucial to the success of any program of care and support for dying patients and their families. Pain can be controlled in more than 90% of older adults. Components of an effective program include comprehensive, repeated pain assessment; detection and treatment of complicating medical and psychological disorders (e.g., delirium); spiritual concerns; and the judicious use of nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic therapies, radiation, and radiopharmaceuticals. Strategies that enable clinicians to prevent and treat the expected complications of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory and opioid therapies are reviewed. Strategies to change opioid agents or routes to minimize opioid-induced side effects and to provide effective pain relief as death nears are presented.

Radiotherapy for the palliation of prostate cancer

The large population of men who will develop metastatic prostate cancer creates a strong need for good palliative care. For many men, androgen ablation works well; however, when this fails, the quality of a man's life can quickly degrade. Pain from skeletal metastases, neurologic involvement, bleeding, and obstruction can all occur. Radiotherapy has long been the gold standard for palliation of symptomatic disease. However, a new approach using hemibody irradiation (HBI) earlier in the disease course, as well as more effective and tolerable dose and fractionation schemes for local field radiation, are providing excellent amelioration of symptoms and the possibility of living longer and more comfortably to many men with metastatic prostate cancer. The indications and use of therapeutic systemic radioisotopes to help achieve these objectives are also discussed.

Radiotherapy for bone metastases: a critical appraisal of outcome measures

Pain from bone metastases is a common problem in patients with advanced cancer, and radiotherapy plays an important role in its palliation. Single fraction treatments are often prescribed, but there is no clear consensus on this issue and clinical practice shows significant variability. This situation is unsatisfactory for all patients--the patient, the clinician, and the health care administrator. Randomized trials may use poor outcome measures and this contributes to practice variability. The credibility of outcome studies is often reduced due to poor study design, small sample sizes, and the use of endpoints that are both unreliable and unsuitable. The endpoints used have been narrowly defined, the patient's perspective has generally been overlooked, and quality of life has only once been used as an endpoint. A review of the current literature suggests that instruments specific to bone metastases are required. These must be based on patient experience, and rely on self-report. In addition, there is a need to understand the relative priority that patients attribute to treatment outcomes. The use of better instruments and methodologies in future trials will enhance the credibility of results and reduce practice variations.

Radiation therapy in the management of symptomatic bone metastases: the effect of total dose and histology on pain relief and response duration

PURPOSE

In order to better define variables and factors that may influence the pain response to radiation, and to look for a radiation regimen that can assure the highest percentage and the longest duration of pain relief, we performed a prospective, although not randomized, study on patients with bone metastases from various primary sites.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

From December 1988 to March 1994, 205 patients with a total of 255 solitary or multiple bone metastases from several primary tumors were treated in our radiotherapy center with palliative intent. Irradiation fields were treated with three main fractionation schedules: (1) Conventional fractionation: 40-46 Gy/20-23 fractions in 5-5.5 weeks; (2) Short course: 30-36 Gy/10-12 fractions in 2-2.3 weeks; (3) Fast course: 8-28 Gy/1-4 consecutive fractions. Pain intensity was self-assessed by patients using a visual analogic scale graduated from 0 (no pain) to 10 (the strongest pain one can experience). Analgesic requirement was assessed by using a five-point scale, scoring both analgesic strength and frequency (0 = no drug or occasional nonopioids; 1 = Nonopioids once daily; 2 = Nonopioids more than once daily; 3 = Mild opioids (oral codeine, pentazocine, etc.), once daily; 4 = Mild opioids more than once daily; 5 = Strong opioids (morphine, meperidine, etc.). Complete pain relief meant the achievement of a score < or = 2 in the pain scale or 0 in the analgesic requirement scale. Partial pain relief indicated a score of 3 to 4 or of 1 to 2 on the former and latter scale, respectively.

RESULTS

Total pain relief (complete + partial) was observed in 195 (76%) sites, in 158 of which (62%) a complete response was obtained. Metastases from NSC lung tumors appeared to be the least responsive among all primary tumors, with 46% complete pain relief in comparison to 65% and 83% complete relief in breast (p = 0.04) and in prostate metastases (p = 0.002), respectively. A significant difference in pain relief was detected among the several ranges of total dose delivered to the painful metastases, with 81%, 65%, and 46% complete relief rates in the 40-46 Gy, 30-36 Gy (p = 0.03), and 8-28 Gy (p = 0.0001) dose ranges respectively. A straight correlation between total dose and complete pain relief was confirmed by the curve calculated by the logistic model which shows that doses of 30 Gy or more are necessary to achieve complete pain relief in 70% or more of bone metastases. This correlation holds also for the duration of pain control, as shown by the actuarial analysis of time to pain progression. Multivariate analyses, with complete pain relief and time to pain progression as endpoints show a highly significant effect of radiation dose (p = 0.0007) and performance status (p = 0.003), with lower rates of complete pain relief and shorter time to pain progression observed after smaller radiation total doses or higher Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) scores.

CONCLUSION

Although single-dose or short course irradiation is an attractive treatment in reducing the number of multiple visits to radiotherapy departments for patients with painful bone metastases, it is nevertheless clear that aggressive protracted treatments seem to offer significant advantages especially for patients in whom the expected life span is not short.

Systemic Radionuclide Palliative Therapy for Metastatic Carcinoma with Strontium 89

Metastatic carcinoma is the most common neoplasm involving the skeletal system. It is estimated that 30% to 70% of newly diagnosed cancer patients develop osseous metastases, causing intractable bone pain. A variety of treatments have been used to control bone pain associated with skeletal metastases, including analgesics, cytotoxic chemotherapy, external beam radiotherapy and systemic radio-nuclide therapy. Strontium 89 (89Sr) is a systemic radionuclide and calcium analog that has been extensively used for pain control in advanced skeletal metastatic disease. Strontium 89 offers advantages over other treatment modalities, including repeated treatments if necessary, less bone marrow suppression and toxicity and potential for cost effectiveness.

Radiotherapy for palliation of symptoms in incurable cancer

Approximately one half of prescribed radiotherapy is given for palliation of symptoms due to incurable cancer. Distressing symptoms including pain, bleeding, and obstruction can often be relieved with minimal toxic effects. Painful osseous metastasis is common in oncologic practice. Ninety percent of patients with symptomatic bone metastases obtain some pain relief with a lowdose, brief course of palliative radiotherapy. One half of the responding patients may experience complete pain relief. A single dose of 800 cGy in the setting of painful bone metastasis may provide pain control comparable to more protracted treatment at a higher dose of radiation. Patients with lytic disease in weight-bearing bones, particularly in the presence of cortical destruction, should be considered for prophylactic surgical stabilization of their condition. Routinely a brief, fractionated course of radiotherapy is given postoperatively. Pain due to multiple bone metastases uncontrolled by analgesics can be managed with single doses of halfbody irradiation. Doses of 600 cGy delivered to the upper half-body (above the umbilicus) and 800 cGy to the lower half-body (from the umbilicus to the middle of the femur) will provide some pain relief in 73% of patients. Half-body techniques have been investigated as prophylactic treatment, as a complement to local-field irradiation, and as fractionated rather than singledose therapy. Although intravenous administration of strontium 89 has been associated with myelosuppression, this treatment has been shown (a) to relieve pain due to bone metastasis and (b) to delay development of new painful sites. Recent data from phase III trials demonstrated that bisphosphonates have a role in reducing skeletal morbidity due to bone metastasis. Bone pain was reduced, and the incidence of pathologic fracture and the need for future radiotherapy was decreased. Radiotherapy relieves clinical symptoms in 70% to 90% of patients with brain metastases. Brief treatment schedules (e.g., 2000 cGy in five fractions over 1 week) are as effective as more prolonged therapy. Patients with solitary brain metastasis and no extracranial disease or controlled extracranial disease should be considered for surgical resection, because phase III data indicate enhanced survival with such an approach. Whole-brain radiotherapy is routinely administered postoperatively. A phase III study is examining the impact of accelerated fractionated doses of radiotherapy (two treatments per day) on survival of patients with brain metastases. Stereotaxic radiosurgical treatment is becoming increasingly available and permits delivery of radiation to metastatic intracranial tumor with minimal exposure of normal surrounding brain This treatment is most commonly used at the time of a solitary recurrence of disease in patients who previously received whole-brain radiotherapy. A role for this modality in newly diagnosed brain metastases remains to be defined. Chest symptoms are common in patients with locally advanced lung cancer and are effectively palliated with one 1000 cGy or two 850 cGy one fraction doses of radiation to the thoracic inlet and mediastinum. Chest pain and hemoptysis are more effectively palliated than cough and dyspnea. In patients with stage III cancer there is no compelling evidence that radiotherapy confers a survival advantage, and it may be reasonable to administer thoracic radiotherapy only when the patient has significant symptoms and the goal is to achieve control of these symptoms. Approximately 75% of the cases of superior vena cava syndrome are due to lung cancer, and small-cell lung cancer is the most common histologic type. A histologic diagnosis should be obtained before treatment is started, because detection of lymphoma or small-cell carcinoma would necessitate systemic therapy. Eighty percent of the patients with vena cava syndrome due to malignant disease achieve symptom relief with a brief, fractionated, palliative course of rad

Palliative radiation therapy for non-small cell lung cancer

The palliative treatment of patients with NSCLC should be individualized. Treatment decisions should be directed by the goal of maximizing the patient's quality of life, and the patient's wishes should always be ascertained. The approaches to palliative radiation treatment of the chest, bones, and brain are quite similar. Treatment of the chest and bones is usually reserved until symptoms are significant. Brain metastases are generally treated soon after diagnosis. With respect to dose-fractionation schedules, the data are not conclusive. In theory, more protracted schedules of 40 to 50 Gy in 4 to 5 weeks are associated with more durable responses and less long-term morbidity than are shorter and lower-dose schedules. These regimens are therefore worth considering for the most favorable subset of palliative patients (i.e., those with good performance status and low burden of disease). At the other end of the spectrum, very ill patients with poor performance status may be best served by short hypofractionated schedules such as 20 Gy in five fractions, 17 Gy in two fractions, or possibly 8 to 10 Gy in one fraction. Response rates with these regimens are good, trips to the treatment facility are minimized, and these ill patients will probably not live long enough to experience the higher long-term toxicity rates associated with larger treatment fractions. The majority of patients, however, fall between these two extremes and are well served by schedules such as 30 Gy in 10 fractions. Radiation treatment fields should not be excessive but cover gross disease with a limited margin. (In the setting of brain metastases, treatment of the whole brain is recommended.) Further study of palliative treatment approaches should focus not only on assessments of response and toxicity but also on the impact of different treatments on overall quality of life.

The palliative therapy of advanced prostate cancer, with particular reference to the results of recent European clinical trials

The palliative therapy of advanced prostate cancer still remains a perplexing problem. If advanced prostate cancer is defined either as a primary advanced-stage tumour (T3, T4, N0-N1), or a rising PSA level after primary and hopefully curative therapy, or the traditional patient presenting with small- or large-volume metastases with or without symptoms, then some 60% of all patients have advanced disease when first seen. There is still a need for the continuation of large prospective, randomized studies in all stages of this common illness, to define the role of the different therapeutic options at our disposal. The urological and urooncological worlds must be patient and not jump to too many early conclusions over the benefit of the various therapies until a statistical advantage for both individual and combined therapeutic options has been shown.

Second-line treatment of metastatic prostatic carcinoma

Second-line palliative treatment of patients who have failed hormone therapy for advanced prostate cancer remains an important challenge in this disease. Very few agents have been shown to have a positive impact on survival, and toxicity is often therapy limiting in this elderly group of patients. Improvements in pain and performance status with maintenance of a reasonable functional status are worthwhile goals of any therapy at this stage. The earlier diagnosis of progressive disease from a rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and the use of validated quality of life questionnaires, can lead to useful improvements in the quality of the lives of these patients whose quantity we cannot at present lengthen.

Fractionated half-body irradiation for pain palliation in widely metastatic cancers: comparison with single dose

PURPOSE

To explore fractionated half-body irradiation (HBI) for pain palliation and determine if it is more efficient and effective than single dose HBI.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

During the last 13 years, 75 out of 115 HBIs (64%) at the University of Maryland Medical Center were given for palliation of various widely metastatic cancers (28% prostate, 25% breast, 12% lung). The HBI fields were 28% upper, 25% mid, and 47% lower; three patients had both upper and lower HBI. An initial performance status (PS) 3&4 with a life expectancy < 3 months was found in 50% of patients. The HBI techniques used on consecutive patients were: single dose (SD) in 54% with escalating doses of 4-10 Gy; split-course (SC) in 12% with two 4 Gy single doses separated by 2 weeks; and daily fractionated (DF) in 34% with five fractions of 3 Gy each. There were 68 of 75 HBI (91%) given for pain control purposes.

RESULTS

The percent total (complete) pain relief was SD-73(32), SC-50(13), and DF-96(49). Time to maximum and (complete) relief was: SD 5 days each and DF HBI 7(11) days. Pain-free survival (PFS) was short but so was overall survival (OS). PFS was SD-5, SC-4.5, and DF-19 weeks. The percent of the remaining patient's life spent pain free without retreatment (NPR) was SD-38, SC-34, and DF-68. Differences in pain relief, PFS, OS, and NPR were significant and carried over primary tumor types; prostate, breast, and surprisingly GI were very responsive (90, 84, and 83%, respectively). On multivariate analysis only the PS and degree of relief were independent variables. Despite lack of premedication in DF-HBI, toxic reactions were identical to SD-HBI with premedication. No Grade 4 toxicities occurred. Grade 3 toxicities were 4%. Retreatment was 3% in SD and 13% in fractionated HBI; these differences were not significant.

CONCLUSION

HBI is still the most effective and efficient way to palliate pain from widely disseminated cancer. Fractionating HBI eliminates need for the premedication and close patient monitoring required for SD-HBI. It also allows for an increase in total dose which can produce better responses in pain relief, duration of relief, PFS, OS, and quality of life.

A phase I/II study to evaluate the effect of fractionated hemibody irradiation in the treatment of osseous metastases--RTOG 88-22

PURPOSE

The present study was initiated to determine the maximum tolerated total dose that can be delivered by fractionated hemibody irradiation (HBI), as defined by the acute hematological and nonhematological toxicity. Although it was designed as a dose searching trial, the influence of higher doses on occult and overt disease were considered equally important. The study was not designed to evaluate pain relief. The results were compared to Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) 82-06, which employed single high-dose HBI, to determine if either single or fractionated HBI is more effective in controlling occult or overt disease.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

A total of 144 patients were entered from September 1989 to April 1993. Only patients with a single symptomatic bone metastases from either prostate or breast cancer primaries and a KPS > or = 60 were eligible. All patients initially received 30.0 Gy in 10 fractions to the symptomatic area followed by HBI in 2.50 Gy fractions to one of five arms: I-10.0 Gy (37 patients); II-12.5 Gy (23 patients); III-15.0 Gy (18 patients); IV-17.5 Gy (40 patients), and V-20.0 Gy (26 patients). A dose limiting toxicity was defined as an observed toxicity of > or = Grade 3 lasting more than 30 days postcompletion of HBI. If three or more dose-limiting toxicities occurred at any dose level, the previous dose was considered as the maximum tolerable dose.

RESULTS

Thirty-six of 142 patients experienced > or = Grade 3 hematological toxicity at some time following HBI. The distribution of dose-limiting hematological toxicity in each arm was: I-two patients; II-one patients; III-zero patients; IV-one patient; and V-three patients. The major nonhematological toxicity was gastrointestinal and occurred in 10 patients. None were dose limiting. At 12 months from the initiation of treatment, the percent of patients with new disease were: Arms I-19%; II-9%; III-17%; IV-19%; V-13%; the percent of patients requiring additional treatment in the hemibody field were: Arms I-36%; II-30%; III-33%; IV-32%; and V-19%. When compared to single high-dose HBI the estimated reduction in the failure rate was 36% after fractionated HBI which potentially represents a modest improvement.

CONCLUSIONS

The maximum tolerated dose of fractionated (2.50 Gy) HBI was found to be 17.5 Gy. The major dose limiting toxicity was hematological (thromboleukopenia). There was not a significant dose response effect on occult disease (appearance of new disease) or in the requirement for additional treatment, although certain trends were noted for the higher doses. When only patients completing assigned HBI from RTOG 82-06 and 88-22 were compared, there was no difference in the time to new disease or additional treatment in the treated field. Based on the investigative parameters of this study, single high-dose HBI was as effective as fractionated HBI. The incorporation of cytokines, to ameliorate hematological toxicity, should allow for the delivery of higher doses of fractionated HBI and sequential HBI as a means of delivering systemic irradiation.

Skeletal metastases

This synthesis of the literature on radiotherapy for skeletal metastases is based on 171 scientific articles, including 13 randomized studies, 24 prospective studies, and 79 retrospective studies. These studies involve 13054 patients. Radiotherapy has been well documented as a method for alleviating pain, but the mechanisms underlying this effect are largely unknown. When used for pain palliation, radiotherapy achieves freedom from pain, or substantial alleviation of pain in nearly all cases, with few side effects. Half-body irradiation is effective in treating multiple metastatic sites and should be considered for use more frequently. However, this increases the requirements on equipment, dosimetry, and hospital beds. Systemic radiotherapy with radionuclides may be indicated for generalized skeletal pain. The role of radiotherapy in preventing or healing fractures is not fully evaluated. Optimum dose levels and fractionation schedules have not been established. Early radiotherapy for spinal cord compression may prevent symptoms from worsening, but the effects on existing paralysis are modest.

Prospective trials for the radiotherapeutic treatment of bone metastases

Radiation therapy is a proven technique to relieve the pain of bone metastases. Focal painful metastases can be palliated in up to 80 percent of patients. The technique to use for the treatment varies depending on the extent of disease, the prognosis of the patient and physician preference. Most studies indicate that the local treatment of bone metastases with single large treatments is as efficacious as extended courses of treatment. For patients with wide-spread disease, two forms of systemic radiotherapy are available: hemibody irradiation and intravenous injection of radionuclides. Studies have shown the combination of either focal irradiation and hemibody irradiation or focal irradiation and the injection of strontium (89) prolongs the pain-free duration of the patients. All palliative patients with symptomatic bone metastases should be evaluated for radiotherapy.

Quality of life after palliative radiotherapy in patients with hormone-resistant prostate cancer: single institution experience

OBJECTIVE

To review the development, methodology and difficulties of evaluating the quality of life (QoL) in patients with hormone-resistant prostate cancer, and to analyse the subjective effect of palliative radiotherapy among these patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Since 1986, a self-administered QoL questionnaire has been developed for patients with hormone-resistant prostate cancer. The study group included 137 such patients, with a median age of 70 years (range 48-87), who received either 89Sr (31) or external beam radiotherapy (106) because of painful bone metastases. Quality of life was assessed in all patients before treatment and, if possible, 3 months afterwards.

RESULTS

The questionnaire had acceptable psychometric properties (validity, reliability). In these patients with very advanced disease, palliative radiotherapy proved less effective than reports in the literature might suggest.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with hormone-resistant prostate cancer, quality of life assessment is both possible and desirable for the evaluation of palliative treatment. The patients' perception of physical function represents an independent prognostic factor of overall survival together with alkaline phosphatase and performance status. Valid and reliable QoL questionnaires are now available, though further research is required to establish the most effective way of using them. At 3 months palliative radiotherapy was effective in only 25% of the patients investigated, two-thirds of whom had > or = 20 hot spots on bone scan. Palliative radiotherapy should probably be offered during an earlier phase of the disease.

Radiotherapy for painful bone metastases

Bone metastases are a frequent cause of morbidity in patients with malignant disease. Pain is the commonest symptom; it can be treated successfully in the majority of patients by local external beam irradiation. Controversy exists over which regimen should be used, with a single dose necessitating only one treatment visit to the radiotherapy department, or a fractionated course requiring several visits. Many radiotherapists continue to use fractionated regimens despite the current evidence that single fractions are as effective. Many reasons exist for this, including departmental policy and training, fears of recurrence, problems with retreatment of previously treated areas, fears of increased early and late morbidity, and attempts at promoting recalcification. The majority of these reasons are theoretical and have yet to be substantiated. In many patients, symptomatic bone metastases are widespread, and hemibody irradiation, although more toxic, should be considered in order to avoid the need for repeated courses of local treatment.

Irradiation in relapsing carcinoma of the prostate

BACKGROUND

Radiation therapy plays a major role in the management of patients with either locally recurrent or metastatic carcinoma of the prostate.

RESULTS

In 23 patients with isolated postprostatectomy local recurrences treated with doses of 60-65 Gy, 17 (74%) had tumor control, and 45% survived relapse-free for 5 years after treatment of the recurrence. Pelvic irradiation has been used to treat patients with elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels after radical prostatectomy. This was tried, and 17 of 24 patients (70%) showed a significant decrease in PSA levels after irradiation, in five without subsequent elevation. Two of the seven patients with elevated PSA levels later had distant metastases. Local irradiation has been reported to yield excellent relief of symptoms in 100% of patients with hematuria, 80% with urinary outflow obstruction, and 50-70% with ureteral obstruction or pelvic pain secondary to locally advanced prostatic carcinoma. Reirradiation, particularly with brachytherapy (in preliminary studies combined with hyperthermia) has been used in the management of postirradiation prostatic recurrences with satisfactory tumor regression in approximately 75% of patients. The Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) reported on the palliative effects of external irradiation on patients with bony metastasis. Approximately 54% of such patients had complete relief, and 29% had partial relief of bone pain. However, the retreatment rate of the bony metastasis was lower in the patients receiving higher doses. In a RTOG protocol in which all patients received local irradiation for osseous metastases, 77 were randomized to receive elective hemibody irradiation and 69, local treatment only. The frequency of additional treatment at 1 year was lower in the hemibody irradiation group (54% versus 78%). Occasionally, brain, mediastinal, or liver metastasis can be treated with irradiation. Radioactive phosphorus-32 or strontium-89 has been administered for disseminated bony metastasis with improvement of bone pain in approximately 70-80% of treated patients.

CONCLUSION

The role of irradiation in the treatment of spinal cord compression is discussed. Significant improvement of neurologic function has been reported in 36-60% of the patients, depending on severity of deficit and promptness in instituting emergency treatment.

89Strontium in bone metastases from hormone resistant prostate cancer: palliation effect and biochemical changes

Hematological and biochemical parameters were evaluated in 31 patients receiving 150 MBq 89Strontium (89Sr) intravenously due to painful skeletal metastases from hormone resistant prostate cancer. Two and 3 months after the injection prostate specific antigen (PSA) had increased by a median of 36% and 100%, respectively, as compared to the pretreatment value whereas alkaline phosphatase (APHOS) had decreased by about 20% (median). The leucocyte and platelet counts were reduced by about 20-35%, without reaching grade greater than or equal to 2 toxicity. Pain relief was reported in 14 of 29 evaluable patients at 2 months and in 11 of 23 patients at 3 months. It is concluded that 89Sr represents a worthwhile therapeutic modality in the palliation treatment of patients with hormone resistant prostate cancer, though the biological significance of frequently increasing PSA and decreasing APHOS is not yet completely understood.

A report of RTOG 8206: a phase III study of whether the addition of single dose hemibody irradiation to standard fractionated local field irradiation is more effective than local field irradiation alone in the treatment of symptomatic osseous metastases

Hemibody irradiation (HBI) in a single exposure is an effective and safe technique for palliation of symptoms due to widespread bony metastases (RTOG 78-10). The present study (82-06) sought to explore the possibility that HBI added to local-field irradiation might delay the onset of metastases in the hemibody effected, as assessed by bone scans and X rays, and decrease the frequency of further treatment. The results of this clinical trial establish that 800 cGy of HBI is indeed causes micro-metastases to regress, perhaps completely. A total of 499 patients were randomized to receive either HBI or no further treatment following completion of standard palliative local field irradiation (300 cGy x 10) to the symptomatic site. Improvement was seen in time-to-disease progression at one year, 35% for local + HBI versus 46% on the local-only control arm. Time-to-new disease in the targeted hemibody was also improved. At one year, 50% of patients on the local + HBI arm showed new disease compared to 68% on the local-only arm. Furthermore, the median time-to-new disease within the targeted HBI area was 12.6 months for the local + HBI arm versus 6.3 months for patients in the local-only arm. Time-to-new treatment within the hemibody segment was also delayed. At one year, 76% of the local only group had been retreated versus 60% in the local + HBI arm. There were no fatalities and no radiation pneumonitis was seen in the local + HBI arm. Overall, the incidence of toxicities was low (5-15%). The occurrence of severe hematopoetic toxicities were significantly different in the local + HBI arm, but they were transitory. One life-threatening thrombocytopenia occurred, for a limited time, indicating excellent tolerance to HBI. This clinical trial demonstrates that HBI has the potential to be used to treat systemic and occult metastases, particularly if both halves of the body can be treated.

The role of radiotherapy in palliative care

Radiotherapy is an indispensable modality in the palliation of cancer. All palliative care programs should be acquainted with its indications and have a close working relationship with a radiation oncology department. The technical aspects of the subject may be intimidating to many staff and patients, and departments need to improve their outreach and education. The main indications are: pain relief (particularly bone pain), control of hemorrhage, fungation and ulceration, dyspnea, blockage of hollow viscera, and the shrinkage of any tumors causing problems by virtue of space occupancy. In addition, it has an important role in the palliation of three oncological emergencies: superior vena caval obstruction, spinal cord compression, and raised intracranial pressure due to cerebral metastases. More pragmatic fractionation schedules are being developed that are compatible with good results in terms of palliative end points, giving shorter courses with fewer hospital attendances for patient and family comfort and convenience. More clinical research and evaluation of palliative radiotherapy are required.