Cryoablation or External-Beam Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Painful Bone Metastases

RATIONALE: Cryoablation kills cancer cells by freezing them. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays and other types of radiation to kill tumor cells. It is not yet known whether cryoablation is more effective than external-beam radiation therapy in treating painful bone metastases. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III clinical trial is studying cryoablation to see how well it works compared with external-beam radiation therapy in treating patients with painful bone metastases.