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.
DOI Link
Purpose
STUDY PURPOSE: To examine the evidence for the use of radiotherapy to treat pain in malignant pleural mesothelioma
TYPE OF STUDY: Systematic review
Search Strategy
DATABASES USED: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library
KEYWORDS: Detailed search terms per database are reported
INCLUSION CRITERIA: Malignant pleural mesothelioma diagnosed histologically or radiologically; radiotherapy given for the purpose of treatment of pain; response rates reported; documentation of dose and fractionation given; English language
EXCLUSION CRITERIA: None specified
Literature Evaluated
TOTAL REFERENCES RETRIEVED: 1,480
EVALUATION METHOD AND COMMENTS ON LITERATURE USED: Not described, though levels of evidence reported
Sample Characteristics
- FINAL NUMBER STUDIES INCLUDED = 8
- TOTAL PATIENTS INCLUDED IN REVIEW = 444
- SAMPLE RANGE ACROSS STUDIES: 19–189 patients
Phase of Care and Clinical Applications
PHASE OF CARE: Late-effects and survivorship
APPLICATIONS: Palliative care
Results
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.
Conclusions
The effectiveness of radiotherapy for pain palliation in this group of patients is unclear.
Limitations
- Relatively few studies
- Low-level evidence due to study design issues
Nursing Implications
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.
Legacy ID
4817