Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Bone Metastases From Breast or Prostate Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically proven breast or prostate cancer

• Radiographic evidence of bone metastasis within 8 weeks of study

• Eligible treatment sites:

• Weight-bearing sites:

• Pelvis (excluding pubis)

• Femur

• Sacrum and/or sacroiliac joints

• Tibia

• Non-weight-bearing sites:

• Up to 5 consecutive cervical, thoracic, or lumbar vertebral bodies

• Lumbosacral spine

• Up to 3 consecutive ribs

• Humerus

• Fibula

• Radius with/without ulna

• Clavicle

• Scapula

• Pubis

• If multiple sites are treated, site is included as weight bearing if any of the sites include the pelvis, sacrum, femur, or tibia

• Worst pain score of at least 5 on a scale of 10

• No skull, feet, or hand metastases

• No spinal cord or cauda equina compression/effacement in vertebral metastases

• Multiple sites eligible if they can be included in no greater than 3 treatment sites

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 18 and over

Performance status:

• Karnofsky 40-100%

Life expectancy:

• At least 3 months

Hematopoietic:

• Not specified

Hepatic:

• Not specified

Renal:

• Not specified

Other:

• No impending fracture of the treatment site

• No hematologic primary malignancies

• Negative pregnancy test

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• No change in immunotherapy within 30 days

Chemotherapy:

• No change in chemotherapy within 30 days

Endocrine therapy:

• No change in hormonal therapy within 30 days

Radiotherapy:

• No prior radiation therapy to treatment area

• At least 30 days since systemic radiotherapy (Sr 89)

Surgery:

• No prior palliative surgery to treatment area

• No planned surgical fixation of the bone