Osseous metastases: drugs that enhance bone integrity and prevent adverse skeletal events.
More than 400,000 cancer patients in the USA contend with bone metastases on an annual basis. These patients often suffer pain, a decline in quality of life, and a shortened survival. As a result, over the past several years, efforts to enhance bone integrity in patients with osseus metastases have become a major research priority. This review discusses the evolving role of bisphosphonates and their side effects, highlights other pharmacological interventions aimed at enhancing bone integrity, and reviews other pragmatic approaches to prevent worsening pain and fractures, as derived from a single institution case series of patients with problematic rib metastases.
James M
JM
Heun
Aminah
A
Jatoi
D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000556:secondary*; D004164:Diphosphonates / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000639:trends
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents; D004164:Diphosphonates