Genistein in Treating Patients Undergoing External-Beam Radiation Therapy for Bone Metastases

Inclusion Criteria: * Histologically confirmed malignant solid tumor, including any of the following: * Breast cancer * Lung cancer * Kidney cancer * Melanoma * Prostate cancer * Radiographic evidence\* of bone metastasis within the past 8 weeks NOTE: \*Acceptable studies include plain radiograph, radionuclide bone scan, CT scan, and MRI * Has pain that appears to be related to the radiographically documented metastasis, in the opinion of the treating physician, AND a decision has been made by the responsible clinician that a course of palliative external beam radiotherapy is appropriate treatment * "Worst pain score" of \> 5 on a scale of 10 as scored on the pain assessment questionnaire (BPI) (question #3: 0 = no pain; 10 = worst possible pain) OR taking narcotic medications with an oral morphine equivalent dose of \> 60 mg/day * No painful metastases to the skull, hands, or feet * Eligible treatment sites include any of following: * Weight-bearing sites: * Pelvis (excluding pubis) * Femur * Sacrum and/or sacroiliac joints * Tibia * Non-weight-bearing sites: * Up to 5 consecutive cervical, thoracic, or lumbar vertebral bodies * Lumbosacral spine * Up to 3 consecutive ribs * Humerus * Fibula * Radius ± ulna * Clavicle * Sternum * Scapula * Pubis * If multiple osseous sites are treated, the treatment site is included as weight-bearing if any of the sites include the pelvis, sacrum, femur, or tibia * Treatment of multiple osseous sites allowed only if those sites can be included in ≤ 3 treatment sites * Patients with painful metastases that are contiguous but do not fit into the definition of a site listed above are eligible but are considered to have 2 treatment sites * No vertebral metastases with clinical or radiographic evidence of spinal cord or cauda equina compression/effacement * No primary hematologic malignancies (e.g., lymphoma) * Hormone receptor status (for patients with breast cancer): * Estrogen receptor-negative tumor * Menopausal status not specified * Karnofsky performance status 40-100% * Life expectancy ≥ 3 months * ALT normal * Bilirubin normal * Serum creatinine normal (≤ 1.8 mg/dL for males and ≤ 1.5 mg/dL for females) * Free T4 and thyroid-stimulating hormone normal * Not pregnant * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * No pathologic fracture or impending fracture of the treatment site * No history of primary hyperparathyroidism * No malabsorptive disease or chronic diarrhea * No history of sarcoidosis or tuberculosis Exclusion Criteria: * Less than 30 days since prior systemic radioisotopes for pain, including Strontium-90 (\^90Sr) or Samarium (\^153Sm) * Less than 30 days since prior antibiotics * Less than 30 days since prior initiation of systemic therapy (e.g., hormonal therapy, chemotherapy, or immunotherapy) * Less than 90 days since prior intravenous bisphosphonate therapy * Concurrent oral bisphosphonates allowed * Prior radiotherapy or palliative surgery to the painful sites * Concurrent surgical fixation of the bone * Concurrent treatment to the skull, hands, or feet