Summary

Prostate cancer has the second-highest mortality worldwide in men. The most common site of metastasis is bone. Bone metastases and their resulting complications represent a significant source of morbidity. Radioisotopes have been used for treatment of painful bony metastases. Although shown to decrease pain and analgesia use, this has not improved outcomes. The following case report describes a patient with castrate-resistant prostate cancer who was treated with the radioisotope radium-223 as part of the phase III clinical trial Alpharadin in Patients with Symptomatic Hormone Refractory Prostate Cancer with Skeletal Metastases (ALSYMPCA). He responded to radium-223 with pain relief, bone scan response, stabilisation of prostate specific antigen (PSA) and normalisation of alkaline phosphatase. Interim analysis of this trial has shown that radium-223 significantly prolongs overall survival, time to first skeletal-related event and is well tolerated. Alpharadin is a new treatment option for men with castrate-resistant prostate cancer and symptomatic bone metastases.