Use of Strontium-89 in Metastatic Cancer: US and UK Experience

Although many primary malignancies cause metastases, the most important among American males is prostate cancer, with a rate of bone metastasis of at least 50% [1]. The survival time for patients with metastatic disease is approximately 2 years. During this time, patient management must include the treatment of symptoms related to painful bone lesions [2]. Aside from pain, late stage patients are compromised by pathologic fractures, neurologic deficits, decreased mobility, and the associated depression and anxiety that may accompany these physical symptoms. The main goals of treatment are pain palliation and improvement in quality of life. These are also among the major criteria used to evaluate the effectiveness of therapeutic regimens used in stage D prostatic carcinoma.