[Systemic therapy, pain relief and quality of life of breast cancer patients with bone metastasis].

Systemic therapy, pain relief and the quality of life (QOL) of breast cancer patients with bone metastasis were described. QOL was measured using a "QOL questionnaire" developed by the Ministry of Welfare in Japan. It was proved objectively that QOL scores in the cases with bone metastasis were significantly low in terms of activity, physical psychological conditions. Chemoendocrine therapy, endocrine therapy and outpatient therapy showed a high QOL score. The cases with bone pain showed a low QOL scores. In the 45 cases whose first metastatic site was bone only, there were no differences between endocrine therapy and chemoendocrine therapy in the rate and period of response or the total QOL score. MPA showed a higher response rate and a higher pain relief rate than TAM. In the cases with bone metastasis but without severe visceral metastasis, MPA monotherapy showed an excellent response when the tumor was ER or PgR positive, or when there was a long disease-free interval of more than three years, or if there was no previous therapy. MPA monotherapy is a suitable firstline therapy in such cases. Radiation therapy was more effective for bone pain (response rate 96.3%), and it was also effective in cases in which systemic therapy was not.