Effect of Palliative Radiotherapy in controlling pain of Malignancy

Abstract

Background: Radiation therapy reported to be an effective in palliating pain. Objective: To describe roles of palliative radiotherapy in controlling pain in metastatic cancerous patients, and evaluation of radio-therapy doses in pain management. Methods: A prospective observational study carried out at the Baghdad Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine Center/Baghdad Medical City Complex, Baghdad, Iraq, from 1st of December 2018 to 30th of May 2019. 88 Patients, were included. Patients were assessed before applying radiotherapy, and at the end of treatment. Pain scoring used from 0 to 10. Kaplan Meier survival curve used. Result: The mean±SD of age was 55.44±11.1 years, and the most frequent age group was 41-50years as 37(42.1%). Breast cancer come in 1st rank cases studied in our research as 35(39.8%). 42(47.7%) of patients received radio-therapy on metastatic spine vertebral lesions. Sharp pain, frequent pain, pain at night were the commonest. Before treatment, the most common scoring was (8) in 33(37.5%) patients, while after palliative radio-therapy the scoring shift downward. Radio-therapy dose of 1200 cGy improved overall survival of patients in this study to 21.5 weeks (95%CI= 20.2-22.8). Conclusion: Radiotherapy is effective in palliative therapy. A dose of 1200 cGy improved overall survival of patients in this study to 21.5 weeks.