[Evaluation of the effectiveness of treating breast cancer metastases to the bones by the "no-pain index"].

The results of evaluation of treatment of 98 breast cancer patients with bone metastases are presented. Metastases appeared 6 months -- 15 years after treatment; on the average, they appeared 20.2 months after treatment. Patients received complex therapy -- radiation and medication. The results of treatment were assessed on the basis of subjective (abatement or cessation of pain) and objective (bone reparation) criteria. Objective effect was observed in 4%, subjective one -- in 68.3% of cases. Apart from survival time and remission, the results of treatment were evaluated on the basis of the duration of painless period expressed by means of "no-pain index" -- the ratio of the painless period duration to survival time which elapsed since skeletal metastasis detection, multiplied by 100. The study showed that complex therapy has a considerable palliative effect in some cases -- abatement or cessation of pain for over 54--60% of the survival time of patients.