Palliation of bone pain in patients with metastatic cancer using strontium-89 (Metastron).

Bony metastasis is the most common cause of cancer pain. Strontium-89 (Sr-89), or Metastron, therapy has been shown to be effective for the palliation of pain due to skeletal metastases. By reducing opioid analgesics intake and restoring mobility, Sr-89 improves the patient's quality of life. Sr-89 is given conveniently as an outpatient procedure, and when necessary it can be repeated at 3-month intervals. Sr-89 is useful as an adjunct to local external beam radiation (EBR) because Sr-89 will target all skeletal metastases, including those not included in the EBR field. Because Sr-89 is a beta-emitting radionuclide with a long physical half-life (50.5 days), precautions should be taken by the caretaker(s) against Sr-89 contamination from the patient's blood or excretions, particularly if the patient is incontinent.