[A strontium-89 injection: a simple treatment of painful bone metastases in patients with prostate cancer unresponsive to hormonal treatment].

: Four patients (men aged 75, 67, 65 and 69 years) with painful osseous metastases from prostate cancer were treated by intravenous radionuclide therapy using Strontium-89. All had secondary progression after initially successful hormonal treatment. Three of these four had good responses lasting from 5 to 9 months. One patient with rapidly progressive disease did not respond. Second and third injections were successful in two patients. Mild bone marrow suppression was observed in all, but was not clinically significant. The 70-80% chance of long-lasting pain alleviation through a single injection of Strontium-89 is a valuable addition in the treatment of painful bone metastases from prostate cancer, and probably also in such metastases from breast cancer.