Bone Metastasis

Excerpt

Metastatic bone cancer, also known as secondary bone cancer, is the term used to describe tumors that originate in other tissues and spread (metastasize) to the bone. The rich arterial supply of the bone makes it a common site of metastatic spread. In fact, the skeleton is the third most common site of disease after lung and liver. Primary bone cancer is an uncommon diagnosis. In contrast, a primary bone tumor develops from the uninhibited growth of cancerous bone progenitor cells. The term primary bone cancer implies that the malignancy began within the bone itself and excludes cancers that originate in other tissues and spread (metastasize) to the bone. Secondary bone cancer is a large heterogeneous group that can be responsive to chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery.