Clin Osteol 2026; 31(1): 12-15 | DOI: 10.36290/clo.2026.002

Bone mestastases - a comprehensive overviewMain theme

Martin Marhefka, Aviv Philip Goncharov, Elad Ben Aharon Farzalla, Martina Spisarová, Bohuslav Melichar

Onkologická klinika, Fakultní nemocnice Olomouc

Bone is one of the organs most commonly affected in patients with cancer. The skeletal involvement can be primary or secondary (metastatic), with bone metastases present in up to 70-80 % of all malignancies. In approximately 80 % of patients, bone metastases are caused by four primary tumours: breast, lung, renal and prostatic carcinoma. That is due to both the high incidence and the preference of these tumours to invade into the skeleton. The diagnosis of bone metastases is based on the clinical presentation, laboratory parameters, and confirmatory imaging methods. Subsequent therapy which includes chemotherapy, immunotherapy, hormone therapy, supportive care, radiotherapy and possibly surgical or neurosurgical intervention, depends on tumor factors as well as the overall condition, prognosis, and compliance of the individual patient. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of bone metastases.

Keywords: bone metastases diagnosis, premetastatic niche, radiotherapy, supportive care, treatment.

Accepted: March 25, 2026; Published: March 30, 2026  Show citation