Impact of skeletal complications on patients' quality of life, mobility, and functional independence.
BACKGROUND
Skeletal-related events (SREs) from malignant bone disease cause considerable morbidity and can dramatically reduce patients' quality of life.


CONCLUSIONS
Pathologic fractures often require surgical intervention and palliative radiotherapy. Thus, patients suffer impaired mobility, loss of functional independence, and diminished health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Bisphosphonates can delay the onset and reduce the incidence of SREs and have become the standard of care for the treatment of malignant bone disease; however, minimal information on the effects of bisphosphonate treatment on HRQOL is available. Targeted HRQOL assessments for patients with malignant bone disease are currently under development and are discussed herein.
Costa
Luis
L
Instituto de Medicina Molecular-Lisboa, Servico de Oncologia, Hospital de Santa Maria, Av Professor Egaz Moniz, Lisbon, 1649-039, Portugal. luiscosta.p@netcabo.pt
Badia
Xavier
X
Chow
Edward
E
Lipton
Allan
A
Wardley
Andrew
A
D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000556:secondary*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology; D004164:Diphosphonates / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D000077211:Zoledronic Acid
D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents; D004164:Diphosphonates; D007093:Imidazoles; D000077211:Zoledronic Acid