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Cancer-associated bone disease

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Abstract

Patients with cancer are at risk for many events involving the skeleton, including metastatic disease of bone and treatment-related bone loss. Cancer-related therapies that can affect bone include hormonal therapy, chemotherapy, and the use of glucocorticoids. Screening for bone loss, with lifestyle modifications and the early use of anti-osteoporosis therapies such as bisphosphonates, may decrease bone loss and reduce the risk of fracture. This article reviews risk factors and mechanisms associated with cancer-related bone loss and metastases as well as strategies for the detection of bone-related complications of cancer and therapies to treat these complications. This article focuses on the more common cancers with adverse skeletal effects: breast cancer, prostate cancer, and multiple myeloma.

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Correspondence to Sue A. Brown.

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Brown, S.A., Guise, T.A. Cancer-associated bone disease. Curr Osteoporos Rep 5, 120–127 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11914-007-0027-8

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