Duration of bisphosphonate treatment: results of a non-randomised study in patients previously treated with local irradiation for bone metastases from breast cancer.

Purpose: To assess whether disodium pamidronate (DP) once started should be given life-long in women with lytic bone metastases.

Patients And Methods: One hundred and three women with breast cancer who had at least one osteolytic lesion received 180 mg of DP as a 2-h intravenous infusion given every 4 weeks for a life-time, following local radiotherapy. After six cycles, 26 out of 103 patients (25%) refused to continue their bisphosphonate-treatment.