When should we define the response rates in the treatment of bone metastases by palliative radiotherapy?
Clin Oncol 2008; 20: 83-89. AIMS: It is well established that palliative radiotherapy provides effective pain relief for symptomatic bone metastases, but controversy remains regarding the optimal dose fractionation. Several meta-analyses and systematic reviews of trials comparing the efficacy of single vs multiple fractionated radiotherapy schedules noted that it is difficult to reach a consensus when inconsistent response end point definitions are used. The purpose of this study was to determine when the most appropriate time to evaluate a response is. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with symptomatic bone metastases treated with palliative radiotherapy between May 2003 and June 2005 were enrolled in the study. They were assessed with the Brief Pain Inventory at baseline, 1, 2 and 3 months after radiotherapy. Analgesic consumption during the preceding 24h was recorded and converted into an equivalent total daily dose of oral morphine. The response to radiotherapy was assessed using the
