Macleod, N., Price, A., O'Rourke, N., Fallon, M., & Laird, B. (2014). Radiotherapy for the treatment of pain in malignant pleural mesothelioma: A systematic review. Lung Cancer (Amsterdam, Netherlands), 83, 133–138.
PHASE OF CARE: Late-effects and survivorship
APPLICATIONS: Palliative care
All of the evidence was reported as low with levels of 3 or 2 (specific grading scale not described). Response rates varied from 0%–69%. Six of the studies included were retrospective case series. Two studies did not document pain, and three studies did not use any clear measure of pain.
The effectiveness of radiotherapy for pain palliation in this group of patients is unclear.
Evidence regarding the effectiveness of radiotherapy for the treatment of pain from malignant pleural mesothelioma is lacking. Further well-designed research using valid tools for pain measurement is needed.