Search

The onset of skeletal metastases is typical of advanced-stage prostate cancer and requires a multidisciplinary approach to alleviate bone pain and try to delay disease progression. The current therapeutic armamentarium includes conventional analgesics, chemotherapeutic agents, immunotherapy, androgen-deprivation therapy, osteoclast inhibitors (bisphosphonates, denosumab), surgical interventions, external-beam radiotherapy and radionuclide metabolic therapy. Many studies in recent decades have demonstrated the efficacy of various radiopharmaceuticals, including strontium-89 and samarium-153, for palliation of pain from diffuse skeletal metastases, but no significant benefit in terms of disease progression and overall survival has been shown. The therapeutic landscape of metastatic skeletal cancer significantly changed after the introduction of radium-223, the first bone-homing radiopharmaceutical with disease-modifying properties. In this paper we extensively review the literature on the use of radium-223 dichloride in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

A number of studies have demonstrated that bone scintigraphy has high sensitivity and efficacy in the early detection of bone metastases from several tumours, including breast cancer. Bone scintigraphy is the most definitive tool for diagnosing and monitoring metastatic spread of breast cancer. However, in the past decade there has been a wide debate on its impact on survival time, morbidity and quality of life. Worldwide economic restrictions and these studies have led to the adoption of an almost minimalist policy for breast cancer follow-up using evidence-based guidelines. The recommended breast cancer surveillance testing includes only a few procedures (history, physical and breast self-examination, patient education on symptoms, pelvic examination). The routine use of additional tests, such as blood cell count, tumour markers, liver ultrasonography, bone scan and chest X-rays, is not recommended. Accordingly, scintigraphy should be reserved for a limited number of patients. On the other hand, early diagnosis of bone involvement may reduce the risk of skeletal related events, thus leading to a significant improvement in quality of life. Furthermore, new drugs (e.g. bisphosphonates) can now delay the onset of bone metastasis and reduce the number of patients who experience skeletal complications. In conclusion, the evidence of the clinical usefulness of bone scintigraphy (to allow early planning of new treatments in advanced disease) has to be re-evaluated, possibly by large randomised prospective trials.