[Proton irradiation of the pituitary gland for alleviating pain in patients with disseminated prostate cancer].

Central Research Institute of Roentgeno-Radiology; Medical Academy for Further Education, St. Petersburg Stereotactic ablation of the frontal lobe of the pituitary with narrow beams of 1,000 MeV protons was performed in 80 patients to alleviate pain caused by bone metastases. Pain was aborted for a long time so that pain-relieving medication was suspended in 56 (70%) patients. The remaining patients cut down on taking analgetics: peripheral drugs were taken by 11(13.75%), non-narcotic opioids (tramal)--4 (5%), class III opioid narcotics--7 (8.75%), and morphine-type drugs--only 2. No untoward side-effects were reported.