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When your cancer travels to the bone
Sometimes certain types of cancers, such as prostate, breast,
or other soft-tissue tumors, may progress to a painful disorder
of the bone known as metastatic bone
disease.
Metastatic bone disease happens when cancer cells from the original tumor area
travel (or metastasize) through the body and move into the bone. These areas
of new tumor growth in the bone are called metastases and can spread throughout
the skeletal system. At present, there is no cure for metastatic bone disease.
Know your options for pain relief
If you're experiencing pain related to bone cancer, you should
know that important advances have been made using radiopharmaceuticals
to ease the severe pain related
to metastatic bone disease.
Metastron® (strontium-89 chloride injection) is an injectable radiopharmaceutical
that was developed to help relieve pain due to bone metastases. In some cases,
a single injection of METASTRON has improved patients' reports of pain for an
average of 3 to 6 months - without the disorientation, drowsiness, and uncomfortable
side effects of other types of pain relief medication.
Living with pain, living with dignity
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with metastatic
bone disease, you already know how disruptive the pain associated
with this disease can be. Bone pain can
make normal activities challenging, sleep difficult, and food unappetizing. Most
patients will need some form of treatment to deal with this pain.
No doubt, at some point in your cancer treatment, you've experienced the side
effects related to traditional pain relief medications. Historically, analgesics,
narcotics, external beam radiation, chemotherapy, and hormonal therapy have all
been routinely used to help ease cancer pain. If you've received any of these
treatments, you may have concerns about their effectiveness or complaints about
the way they make you feel.
Pain Relief The Way You Want It
You may have tried a number of pain relief options in the treatment of your cancer.
METASTRON is very different: it travels to tumor sites within the bone and works
to reduce pain, right at the site of the problem.
The method by which METASTRON finds your bone cancer is remarkable. Once you
receive an injection of METASTRON, it acts like calcium by seeking out areas
of bone that are undergoing cell division, a central part of the bone's response
to new cancer cell growth. METASTRON accumulates around these affected areas
- working to lessen existing bone-related pain and, according to some clinical
studies, to possibly delay the development of new areas of pain.
METASTRON is delivered as a single injection, usually on an outpatient basis.
The whole procedure takes only a few minutes and can be done by a radiation oncologist,
nuclear medicine physician, or any other physician you choose who is licensed
to administer strontium-89.
Depending on your pretreatment platelet and white blood cell counts, you may
experience a medically significant reduction in these numbers. During METASTRON
therapy, your physician will closely monitor your blood cell counts. (METASTRON
should be used with caution in patients with significantly compromised bone marrow
from previous therapy or disease infiltration. Specifically, caution should be
used in patients with platelet counts below 60,000 or white blood cell counts
below 2400.)
With METASTRON, your body does not "irradiate" those who are around
you. However, particularly for the first week after injection, take precautions
not to contaminate anyone or any surface with your body waste. (Special precautions,
such as urinary catheterization, should be taken with incontinent patients.)
Any METASTRON that is not absorbed by your bones will be eliminated from your
body, so there's no worry about excess radioactivity remaining in your system.
(However, since METASTRON is excreted primarily by the kidneys, excretion will
be delayed in patients with kidney dysfunction.)
Patient response to METASTRON varies, but the majority of patients report pain
relief beginning within 7 to 20 days after injection and lasting for up to 6
months or more. Some patients have reported complete pain relief, while others
experience only partial relief. In most cases, repeat injections appear to be
effective. If your doctor feels that a repeat dose is appropriate, you can receive
METASTRON at 90-day intervals as needed.
(You may experience a brief increase in pain a few days after receiving your
injection while the METASTRON begins to work. This temporary pain is generally
manageable with analgesics.)
But the best things about METASTRON are the things you don't feel. Once your
pain is under control, you'll notice that METASTRON doesn't make you feel drowsy,
disoriented, or uncomfortable, as other pain therapies can.
There is a chance that METASTRON can help you return to your daily routine. Many
patients are able to resume their regular activities with improvements in their
sleep and appetite. So, while there is no cure for metastatic bone disease, METASTRON
offers you the opportunity to experience pain relief with less frequent treatments
and fewer side effects.
Is Metastron For You?
METASTRON is indicated for the relief of bone pain in patients
with confirmed metastases in the bone. If you or a loved one has been
diagnosed with metastatic
bone disease, METASTRON may be an option for you. Your medical history will be
a deciding factor - especially the nature of your tumor growth, bone marrow functioning,
and previous therapies you've received. Not all treatments are appropriate for
all patients, so you should discuss all available options with your treating
physician.
The cost of METASTRON is generally covered by most health insurance plans, including
Medicare. However, since your plan may differ, please be sure to check with your
claims representative.
Glossary
Analgesic: a drug that relieves pain.
Chemotherapy: treatment of cancer by drugs that have a greater effect on
the disease than on the patient.
External beam radiation: treatment of cancer using beams of high-energy x-rays.
Hormonal therapy: the use of medications known as antihormones, which counteract
the effect of natural hormones that promote tumor growth.
Metastasis: a secondary area of disease developing at some distance from
the original disease area.
Metastasize: to spread from one part of the body to another.
Metastatic bone disease: a secondary disorder that happens when cancer cells
from another area in the body travel to the skeletal system and form tumors
in bone tissue.
Narcotic: a drug that relieves pain but also produces sleep or stupor.
Radiopharmaceutical: a controlled radioactive pharmaceutical developed for
use in the diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of illnesses.
Please note that this information is provided for
educational purposes only. It is not intended to substitute for informed
medical advice. The user of this site should not use this information
to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with
a qualified health care provider.
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