Bone metastases from breast cancer – analysis of 63 cases

Objectives: Breast cancer is the most common malignant neoplasm in women. In metastatic disease bones are often involved.

The aim of the study: was to investigate the clinical feature in patients with breast cancer metastasized to bones.

Material and methods: Sixty-three patients were studied retrospectively. Clinical and pathologic data were analyzed. The time from primary diagnosis until the relapse in bones was evaluated. Metastatic tumors in bones were characterized.

Results: At the diagnosis of primary cancer the patients aged 34-70 years old (54.0 ±8.7). The histology of the cancer was ductal adenocarcinoma (85.7%) and lobular adenocarcinoma (14.3%). The interval from diagnosis of primary cancer until the relapse in bones was 0-216 months (52.1 ±60.5). Bone metastases were less often solitary (25.4%) than multifocal (74.6%). In 47.6% metastatic tumors were diagnosed only in bones, and 52.4% of patients had additional metastases. The synchronous metastases were located most commonly in central nervous system, liver and lungs. The treatment of relapse in bones was in 6.4% surgery followed by radiotherapy, in 73% of patients radiotherapy alone and in 20.6% only palliative care.

Conclusions: The development of brain metastases occurs commonly in patients aged over 60 years old. Bone metastases are in most cases multifocal, and in near 50% of patients synchronous extra­osseous metastases develop. The oncologic treatment of choice in bone metastases from breast cancer remain palliative radiotherapy.