[Bone metastases in lung cancer]

Abstract

The skeleton is one of the most common sites of metastasis in patients with lung cancer. It has been reported that the incidence of bone metastases in lung cancer patients is approximately 30-40%, and the median survival time (MST) of patients with such metastases is 6-7 months. Metastatic bone disease leads to various complications or skeletal related events (SREs), including pain, pathologic fracture, vertebral deformity and collapse, spinal cord compression, and hypercalcemia of malignancy. These events often lead to rapid deterioration in quality of life (QOL). The fundamental treatment for bone metastasis from advanced lung cancer is disease control by systemic chemotherapy. So the prevention and treatment of bone metastases is mainly dependent on an effective treatment against lung cancer itself. As a direct treatment for bone metastases, radiation therapy, surgery and bisphosphonates are the main ways.