The use of radioisotopes for palliation of metastatic bone pain

Abstract

Bone pain associated with advanced prostate and other cancers is a frequent and significant complication. Pharmaceutical therapy of bone pain includes nonsteroidal analgesics and opiates. While external beam radiation therapy remains the mainstay of pain palliation of solitary lesions, bone-seeking radiopharmaceuticals have entered the armamentarium for the treatment of multiple osseous metastases. The 3 radioisotopes currently approved for treatment of pain (strontium-89/(89)Sr, samarium-153/(153)Sm and rhenium-186/(186)Re) are discussed in this review including the approved dose, method of administration and indications for use.