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