Predicting skeletal complications in metastatic breast cancer raises challenges

Excerpt

Breast cancer is a common diagnosis and is annually responsible for the deaths of over 400,000 women worldwide [1]. Approximately, 75% of patients with metastatic breast cancer develop bone metastases [2]. Once affected by tumor, the bone may be painful and may be at risk for skeletal related events (SREs) including fracture, need for surgery or radiation to bone, or spinal cord compression. Hypercalcemia of malignancy (HCM) may also be considered an SRE, but it is often categorized as a separate adverse event. In addition, bone metastases can be associated with marrow infiltration and disruption of hematopoiesis. Not only do bone metastases implicate an incurable diagnosis, bone metastases associate with pain, decreased quality of life, and significant health care expenditure [3]. …