Bone pain from spinal metastases: Iodine-125 brachytherapy.

Objectives: This study evaluated the analgesic efficacy and safety of CT-guided iodine-125 (¹²⁵I) brachytherapy in patients with spinal metastasis-induced pain who were not suitable to receive radiotherapy.

Methods: A cohort of 68 patients with spinal metastasis induced pain not fully relieved by opioids and did not receive external beam radiation therapy due to poor general status were enrolled and underwent CT-guided ¹²⁵I brachytherapy for analgesic treatment.

Results: Patients were followed for 8 weeks after brachytherapy. Mean Numerical Rating Scale score before brachytherapy was 7.3±1.3 and decreased to 3.3±0.9, 2.6±0.8, 2.7±0.8, 2.9±0.9 and 3.3±1.1 at weeks 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8, respectively, after brachytherapy. Daily dose of morphine equivalent was 105.1±28.0 mg before brachytherapy and decreased to 45.3±13.7, 39.9±14.2, 40.4±14.9, 48.5±18.0 and 62.4±17.5 mg at weeks 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8, respectively, after brachytherapy. Patients had fewer daily episodes of breakthrough pain after brachytherapy (p<0.001). Patients had improvement in pain-related functional interference and in hospital anxiety and depression score after brachytherapy.

Conclusions: CT-guided ¹²⁵I brachytherapy is an effective and safe intervention for patients with spinal metastasis-induced pain who are not able to receive radiation therapy.