Farhad Ghadiri - Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Peiman Haddad - Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Jahangir Mehdifar - Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Hojjat Zeraati - Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Treatment of bone metastases comprises over ۱۰% of the workload of a radiation-oncology center. Bone metastases produce severe pain and immobility, necessitate narcotic use, and reduce the quality of life. A good palliative treatment must be complete, free from side effects and fast; Thus we decided to evaluate Strontium-۸۹ (۸۹Sr) effectivity for palliation of breast and prostate cancer bone metastases in relation to above factors. The use of ۸۹Sr radionuclide therapy started on ۱۹۹۲ in radiation-oncology department of Cancer Institute. Until early ۱۹۹۹, ۹۱ patients with bone metstases have been treated for pain relief in our department with ۴ mCi of ۸۹Sr. Of these, ۸۰ were breast and prostate metastatic cancers. ۳۵ patients came back for follow-up and were completely evaluated. Response was seen in ۶۵% of patients (Complete response in ۴۰% and partial response in ۲۵%). Side effects were negligible, and quality of life of the responding patients significantly increased. There was no significant relationship between the type of primary cancer or patient age and response. In conclusion, treatment of metastatic bone cancer from prostate and breast primaries in our department was effective, with a relatively high rate of response and no serious side effects.

Bone Metastases, Radionuclide therapy, Strontium-۸۹, Radiotherapy, Breast cancer, prostate cancer