Title |
Dexamethasone for the prevention of a pain flare after palliative radiotherapy for painful bone metastases: a multicenter double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial
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Published in |
BMC Cancer, May 2014
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DOI | 10.1186/1471-2407-14-347 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Paulien G Westhoff, Alexander de Graeff, Jenske I Geerling, Anna KL Reyners, Yvette M van der Linden |
Abstract |
Radiotherapy has a good effect in palliation of painful bone metastases, with a pain response rate of more than 60%. However, shortly after treatment, in approximately 40% of patients a temporary pain flare occurs, which is defined as a two-point increase of the worst pain score on an 11-point rating scale compared to baseline, without a decrease in analgesic intake, or a 25% increase in analgesic intake without a decrease in worst pain score, compared to baseline. A pain flare has a negative impact on daily functioning and mood of patients. It is thought to be caused by periostial edema after radiotherapy. Dexamethasone might diminish this edema and thereby reduce the incidence of pain flare. Two non-randomized studies suggest that dexamethasone reduces the incidence of a pain flare by 50%. The aim of this trial is to study the effectiveness of dexamethasone to prevent a pain flare after palliative radiotherapy for painful bone metastases and to determine the optimal dose schedule. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
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Unknown | 2 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
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Members of the public | 2 | 100% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Unknown | 68 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Other | 9 | 13% |
Student > Master | 9 | 13% |
Student > Bachelor | 9 | 13% |
Researcher | 6 | 9% |
Student > Doctoral Student | 4 | 6% |
Other | 13 | 19% |
Unknown | 18 | 26% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Medicine and Dentistry | 34 | 50% |
Nursing and Health Professions | 6 | 9% |
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science | 3 | 4% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 1 | 1% |
Business, Management and Accounting | 1 | 1% |
Other | 4 | 6% |
Unknown | 19 | 28% |