CORR Insights^®: Are Allogeneic Blood Transfusions Associated With Decreased Survival After Surgery for Long-bone Metastatic Fractures?

Excerpt

Substantial progress has been made in the medical management of patients with metastatic cancer of the bone, and patients are living longer with their cancers more than ever before. Still, metastatic bone disease remains a major source of morbidity and mortality for patients afflicted with advanced cancers of the breast, prostate, lung, kidney, thyroid, myeloma, and more. As the population in the United States ages, the prevalence of cancer is expected to rise. Presently, the prevalence of cancer is about 5 million cases per year. In 2015, more than 1.2 million people will receive a cancer diagnosis, most of whom will be older than 40 years of age. Approximately half of these newly diagnosed cases will involve the skeleton. As of 2007, the cost of treating metastatic bone cancer in the United States reached USD 12.6 billion, making up almost 20% of all societal cancer costs, as estimated by the NIH [6]. These numbers will continue to rise as the population ages, and are not restricted to the United States. Metastatic bone disease is a major global health care challenge [5]. …