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This information represents
the views of the doctors and nurses serving on the American Cancer
Society's Cancer Information Database Editorial Board. These views are
based on their interpretation of studies published in medical journals,
as well as their own professional experience.
The treatment information
in this document is not official policy of the Society and is not
intended as medical advice to replace the expertise and judgment of
your cancer care team. It is intended to help you and your family make
informed decisions, together with your doctor.
Your doctor may
have reasons for suggesting a treatment plan different from these
general treatment options. Don't hesitate to ask him or her questions
about your treatment options.
Treatment options for people with bone metastases depend on
many things:
- what kind of primary cancer you have
- which bones (and how many) the cancer has spread to
- whether any bones have been weakened or broken
- which treatments you have already received
- your general state of health
Other factors will also be considered, such as features of the
cancer cells (in the case of breast cancer, for instance, whether they
contain estrogen receptors).
Most doctors believe the most important treatment for bone
metastases is treatment directed against the cancer. This is usually
done with systemic
therapies. Systemic therapies enter the bloodstream and
can reach cancer cells that have spread throughout the body. Systemic
therapies include chemotherapy or hormone therapies that are taken by
mouth or injected. There are also drugs called bisphosphonates
that can help make diseased bones stronger and help prevent fractures.
Bisphosphonates are used along with the chemotherapy or hormone therapy
for bone metastasis. These treatments are discussed in more detail
below. Another form of systemic treatment is a type of drug called a radiopharmaceutical.
This type of drug may be used to deliver radiation to many bones at
once. If systemic treatments work, the symptoms of the bone metastases
will go away and new symptoms are not likely to develop soon.
Bone problems may also be treated by doing something to the
bone that has cancer in it. This is often done using local treatments,
which are directed at a single area. Local treatments such as radiation
therapy can relieve the pain in a bone by destroying the cancer.
Sometimes a bone might look as if it is close to breaking. To prevent
this, your doctor may recommend surgery that involves reinforcing the
bone by placing a thin steel rod or other kind of metal support in it.
Sometimes, the doctor will inject glue to make the bone more stable. It
is much easier to keep a damaged bone from breaking than to try and
repair it after it has broken.
Last Medical Review: 01/13/2008 Last Revised: 05/13/2009
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