Radiopharmaceuticals for palliation of painful osseous metastases.
Bone metastases represent the most common etiology of pain for patients with advanced cancer In the United States, the most common treatment for pain caused by bone metastases in late-stage cancer cases is external beam radiotherapy in conjunction with opioids. An alternative or adjuvant to external radiotherapy is intravenous radiopharmaceutical treatment. This review explores the pros and cons of different radiopharmaceutical options, their advantages over traditional external beam radiotherapy, and the conditions for optimal efficacy.