Evaluation of efectiveness of palliative radiotherapy alone or combined with surgery in patients with bone metastases.

Material and methods. The retrospective analysis results of palliative radiotherapy alone or combined with surgery of 200 patients with bone metastases are presented. All patient were irradiatated, 47 of them were operated before or after radiotherapy. General performance status, pain relief, movement efficiency, analgetic drugs and bisphosphonates administration, disease progress and bone reossification were assesed 1, 2, 3, 6, 12 months after the treatment and durning the last examination.
Results. The complete or partial pain relief were observed in 47% of patients 1 month, 56% two months 41% in 3, 38% 6 months after the treatment. 26% reported pain relief 1 year after irradiation and 33% at the last visit
The Kaplan Maier survival analysis shows ststistically significant longer survival for patient treated by combined treatment, women, patients with multiple bone metastases and patients with metastases located in long bones and patients without symptoms of spine compression. Spearman analysis reveals correlation beetween performance status and follow up. There are no correlations between radiation dose, bisphosphonates administration and pain relief, pathology of tumor and follow up.
Conclusions. The obtained results suggests that radiotherapy is effective method of analgetic treatment in bone metastases and that radiotherapy associated with surgery improves survival.