Patient Considerations Following Treatment With Radium-223

Neal D. Shore, MD, FACS, Medical Director, Carolina Urologic Research Center, Myrtle Beach, discusses patient considerations following treatment with radium-223 for bone metastases from prostate cancer.

Clinical Pearls

Radium-223 gets into bone lesions in a matter of minutes, Shore says. Radium-223 is not metabolized by a patient's kidneys or liver, it is simply decayed into fecal matter. A patient is at no real risk following infusion, but should avoid contact with fecal matter.

• Radium-223 gets into bone lesions in a matter of minutes
• The agent is not metabolized by a patient's kidneys or liver
• There is no risk post-infusion, other than avoiding fecal matter