Benign Painful Shoulder Syndrome: Initial Results of a Single-center Prospective Randomized Radiotherapy Dose-optimization Trial

Overview

Journal Strahlenther Onkol

Specialties Oncology
Radiology

Date 2012 Nov 7

PMID 23128898

Citations 16

Authors

O J Ott

S Hertel

U S Gaipl

B Frey

M Schmidt

R Fietkau

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background And Purpose: To compare the efficacy of two different dose-fractionation schedules for radiotherapy of patients with benign painful shoulder syndrome.

Patients And Methods: Between February 2006 and February 2010, 312 consecutive evaluable patients were recruited for this prospective randomized trial. All patients received radiotherapy with an orthovoltage technique. One radiotherapy course consisted of 6 single fractions in 3 weeks. In case of insufficient remission of pain after 6 weeks, a second radiation series was performed. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either single doses of 0.5 or 1.0 Gy. The endpoint was pain reduction. Pain was measured before, right after, and 6 weeks after radiotherapy using a visual analogue scale (VAS) and a comprehensive pain score (CPS).

Results: The overall response rate for all patients was 83% directly after and 85% 6 weeks after radiotherapy. The mean VAS values before, directly after, and 6 weeks after treatment for the 0.5 and 1.0 Gy groups were 56.8 ± 23.7 and 53.2 ± 21.8 (p = 0.158), 38.2 ± 26.1 and 34.0 ± 24.5 (p = 0.189), and 33.0 ± 27.2 and 23.7 ± 22.7 (p = 0.044), respectively. The mean CPS before, directly after, and 6 weeks after treatment was 9.7 ± 3.0 and 9.5 ± 2.7 (p = 0.309), 6.1 ± 3.6 and 5.4 ± 3.6 (p = 0.096), 5.3 ± 3.7 and 4.1 ± 3.7 (p = 0.052), respectively. Despite a slight advantage in the VAS analysis for the 1.0 Gy group for delayed response, the CPS analysis revealed no statistically significant differences between the two single-dose trial arms for early (p = 0.652) and delayed response quality (p = 0.380).

Conclusion: Radiotherapy is an effective treatment option for the management of benign painful shoulder syndrome. Concerning radiation protection, the dose for a radiotherapy series is recommended not to exceed 3-6 Gy.

Citing Articles

Radiotherapy for painful shoulder syndrome: a retrospective evaluation.

Leist R, Micke O, Seegenschmiedt M, Adamietz I, Fakhrian K, Muecke R Strahlenther Onkol. 2024; .

PMID: 39313732 DOI: 10.1007/s00066-024-02302-x.

Low Dose Radiation Therapy Induces Long-Lasting Reduction of Pain and Immune Modulations in the Peripheral Blood - Interim Analysis of the IMMO-LDRT01 Trial.

Donaubauer A, Becker I, Weissmann T, Frohlich B, Munoz L, Gryc T Front Immunol. 2021; 12:740742.

PMID: 34712229 PMC: 8546320. DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.740742.

Low Dose Radiation Therapy, Particularly with 0.5 Gy, Improves Pain in Degenerative Joint Disease of the Fingers: Results of a Retrospective Analysis.

Donaubauer A, Zhou J, Ott O, Putz F, Fietkau R, Keilholz L Int J Mol Sci. 2020; 21(16).

PMID: 32824064 PMC: 7461565. DOI: 10.3390/ijms21165854.

Low-Dose Radiotherapy Has No Harmful Effects on Key Cells of Healthy Non-Inflamed Joints.

Deloch L, Ruckert M, Fietkau R, Frey B, Gaipl U Int J Mol Sci. 2018; 19(10).

PMID: 30332826 PMC: 6214021. DOI: 10.3390/ijms19103197.

Radiotherapy for calcaneodynia, achillodynia, painful gonarthrosis, bursitis trochanterica, and painful shoulder syndrome - Early and late results of a prospective clinical quality assessment.

Micke O, Ugrak E, Bartmann S, Adamietz I, Schaefer U, Bueker R Radiat Oncol. 2018; 13(1):71.

PMID: 29673383 PMC: 5907721. DOI: 10.1186/s13014-018-1025-y.

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