When Should we Define the Response Rates in the Treatment of Bone Metastases by Palliative Radiotherapy?

We conclude that 2 months after radiotherapy is the most appropriate time point to measure response rates for two reasons: (i) the maximum pain relief for some patients may take more than 4 weeks to achieve and (ii) attrition poses a major problem when response rates are measured at a later date. Future trials should use standardised criteria for end points to facilitate comparison and analysis across clinical trials. Given the limitations of this study, however, further investigations are needed to confirm the response time points for palliative cancer patients.