Patients with advanced breast or prostate cancers usually develop bone
metastases. The principal complications resulting from metastatic bone
disease are pain, spinal cord compression, pathologic fractures and bone
marrow suppression. Improving the management of bone metastases is
crucial to quality of life for patients with breast and prostate cancer.
Advances in understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the
pathophysiology of bone metastasis are driving the development of new
therapeutic strategies.