Single fraction conventional external beam radiation therapy for bone metastases: A systematic review of randomised controlled trials

8 Gy was by far the most commonly administered single fraction dose within 24 randomised trials of conventional radiation therapy for the palliation of bone metastases. 8 Gy should be the standard dose against which future treatments are compared due to its reproducible pain response rate and its established safe profile. The optimal dose for the relief of pain remains an open question, however, 8 Gy produced statistically superior pain response rates compared to 4 Gy in trials directly comparing those doses, and in general across all trials doses of 8 Gy or more produced numerically superior pain response rates compared to doses less than 8 Gy.