Cancer, which develops in certain organs of the human body, including the lungs, breast or prostate, among others, sometimes it can spread to the bones, causing this, which is known as metastatic bone disease. Approximately more than 1.2 million new cases of cancer are diagnosed each year, and about half of them may spread or metastasize to bone.
Through medical advances, patients, diagnosed with several different types of cancer, especially lung cancer, breast and prostate, can live longer. However, primary cancers in more patients progress through bone metastases, where they extend to the bone. Meanwhile, other types of cancer don't spread to bone as easily.
Metastatic bone disease can damage and weaken the affected bone, causing pain along the site of spread. In addition, patients with the disease are at higher risk of fractures or broken bones. Disease symptoms, Emotional support groups for patients and their relatives are starting at Acibadem City Clinic Tokuda Hospital and Acibadem City Clinic Mladost., can become a challenge for the patient to engage in regular physical activities. The main concern of patients with metastatic bone disease is the deterioration of the quality of life.
The extent of the effects of metastatic bone disease on a patient can vary and is related to how the cancer has spread, which bones are affected and how severe the bone damage is. In addition, there are a number of treatment options to treat the disease. Treatment helps patients manage pain, to maintain their activity levels and maintain their independence.
What is metastatic bone disease??
Bones are the most common site of cancer spread, which starts in the organs, after the lung and liver. Because many patients do not experience painful symptoms of metastases in the liver and lungs, they often go undetected, until the disease is at an advanced stage. Unlike them, bone metastases are usually painful, when they develop.
The tumor can completely destroy the bone at the site of spread, process, called “osteolytic bone destruction”. Bone damage or weakening is most common in cancer, that have spread from the lungs, the thyroid gland, kidneys and colon. New bone, called osteoblastic, it can also form due to the spread of cancer, more commonly seen in stomach cancer, bladder and prostate.
As a result of bone damage and weakness, patients with metastatic bone disease are prone to fractures. The broken bones, caused by the disease, are called ”pathological fractures”. Sometimes the bone can be so weak, that fracture is inevitable, called "imminent pathologic fractures". Being bedridden for long periods of time due to broken bones can lead to chemical imbalances in the blood stream, such as elevated calcium levels, known as “hypercalcemia”+. Cancer patients, which has spread to the spine, can develop nerve damage, which may result in paralysis or loss of use of arms and/or legs.
Symptoms
Patient with cancer, who is in pain, especially in the back, arms and legs, should notify your doctor immediately. The pain, which occurs without performing physical activities, is particularly worrying. The most common symptoms of metastatic bone disease include:
- Pain – patients may experience pain along the thigh and/or pelvis, upper and lower limbs and spine, as the tumor may have damaged or weakened the bone.
- Fractures – broken bones or fractures can range from mild to severe and are usually a clear indication of the presence of the disease.
- Anemia – the most common places of distribution, scull, spine, ribs, upper and lower extremities and the hips and/or pelvis, correspond to the areas of the bone marrow, which produce high levels of red blood cells, responsible for carrying oxygen to the cells. Anemia, or reduced production of red blood cells, is a common blood abnormality in this disease.
Diagnosing
Before continuing treatment for metastatic bone disease, it is important for the healthcare professional to understand the patient's symptoms, as well as his overall health and well-being. The doctor will ask for the patient's medical history. After the medical history, the medical professional will perform a physical examination of the patient. The doctor may also use imaging, to help with patient diagnosis.
- Radiography – after the initial diagnosis, they may order x-rays. Because pain can often originate in other parts of the body, the medical specialist will also order x-rays outside the regions, where the patient experiences discomfort. X-rays can give the oncologist a lot of information about which bone is affected.
- Other imaging studies – the doctor may also order a bone scintigraphy. This test can determine whether other bones are associated with metastatic bone disease. In certain situations, a computed tomography or CT scan may be ordered, scan and nuclear magnetic resonance or MRI, especially in scripts, in which the spine or hip and/or pelvis are affected.
Different types of cancer can cause metastatic bone disease in different areas of the human skeleton. Bone metastases can cause painful symptoms, ultimately affect the patient's quality of life.
Treatment
Advances in surgical techniques, as well as beam approaches- and medical treatment significantly improved the quality of life of patients, suffering from cancer, which has spread into the bone from the site of origin. Treatment options are based on how far the disease has spread, which bones are affected and how the bone has been damaged or weakened.
In many cases of metastatic bone disease, the cancer has progressed to multiple bone sites. As a result, treatment is focused on replicating the symptoms of pain and bone weakness, as it is not intended to be medicinal. The most common treatment option for metastatic bone disease involves drugs and/or medications, and radiation therapy to control pain and prevent further spread of metastatic bone disease, as well as surgery to stabilize weak and broken bones.
Patients with metastatic bone disease require a multidisciplinary team approach. The medical oncologist works closely with the radiation therapist, a surgeon, the imaging specialist, the orthopedic surgeon, neurologist, etc.. Making the diagnosis is essential, to implement the best treatment approach.
Resources:
