Main description:

An introductory text on bone metastases written by experts from various disciplines. It covers the basic principles of surgery in bone cancer, classification, medical treatment, radiotherapy, surgical treatment, incidence and pain relief. The steady progress in diagnosis and treatment of bone cancer in the last decade has dramatically changed the prognosis of cancer patients, improving significantly the overall survival rate and quality of life. Multidisciplinary treatments that combine surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, as described in this book, show significantly improved results and an above average survival rate. Some hematologic malignancies that involve bone may be cured with systemic chemotherapy or radiotherapy, but for most patients with bone metastases, pain relief is the goal of therapy.

Contents:

1 Histology and Experimental Study.- 1 Pathology of Bone Metastatic Tumours.- 1.1 Techniques and Choice of Bone Sample.- 1.2 Macroscopic Study.- 1.3 Histological Study.- 1.4 Mechanisms of Development of Bone Metastasis.- 1.5 Summary.- 2 Identification.- 2 Radiographic Imaging of Skeletal Metastases.- 2.1 Mechanisms of Bone Involvement.- 2.2 Osseous Response to Metastases.- 2.3 Radiographic Imaging.- 2.4 Role of the Radiographic Examination in the Evaluation of Skeletal Metastases.- 2.5 Summary.- 3 Medical Treatment.- 3 Chemotherapy.- 3.1 Problems of Response Assessment in Skeletal Metastases.- 3.2 Breast Cancer.- 3.3 Lung Cancer.- 3.4 Prostate Cancer.- 3.5 Renal Cell Carcinoma.- 3.6 Summary.- 4 Immunotherapy.- 4.1 Active Non-specific Immunotherapy.- 4.2 Active Specific Immunotherapy.- 4.3 Passive Immunotherapy.- 4.4 Interferons.- 4.5 Interleukin-2.- 4.6 Conclusion.- 5 Biphosphonates.- 5.1 Mechanism of Action.- 5.2 Bone Pain.- 5.3 Osteolytic Process.- 5.4 Prevention of Complications of Bone Metastases in Patients with Breast Cancer.- 5.5 Prevention of Bone Metastases Development in Patients with Breast Cancer.- 5.6 Summary.- 6 Hormonal Therapy.- 6.1 Introduction.- 6.2 Breast Cancer.- 6.3 Prostate Cancer.- 6.4 Endometrial Cancer.- 7 Cement-Containing Antimitotics.- 7.1 Study of the Release of Methotrexate.- 7.2 Study of the Release of Cisplatin.- 7.3 Diffusion Mechanism of Antimitotics.- 7.4 Clinical Experience.- 7.5 Conclusion.- 4 Radiotherapy.- 8 Radiotherapy in the Treatment of Bone Metastases.- 8.1 Introduction.- 8.2 External Radiotherapy.- 8.3 Systemic Radiotherapy.- 8.4 Summary.- 9 Radiosurgical Treatment of Bone Metastasis of the Limbs.- 9.1 Introduction.- 9.2 Patients.- 9.3 Methods.- 9.4 Results.- 9.5 Discussion.- 9.6 Conclusion.- 5 Surgical Treatment.- 10 Surgery for Bone Metastasis of the Limbs.- 10.1 Introduction.- 10.2 Clinical Bases.- 10.3 Principles of Palliative Surgery for Bone Metastasis.- 10.4 Methods.- 10.5 Discussion.- 10.6 Conclusion.- 11 Surgical Treatment of Vertebral Metastases.- 11.1 Therapeutic Decision.- 11.2 Surgical Techniques.- 11.3 Results.- 11.4 Conclusion.- 12 Treatment of Secondary Spinal Tumours.- 12.1 Introduction.- 12.2 Consideration of the Primary Tumour.- 12.3 Surgery.- 12.4 Vertebroplasty.- 12.5 Conclusion.- 6 Medico-social Aspects.- 13 Caring for Cancer Patients.- 13.1 Introduction.- 13.2 Life, Birth and Death.- 13.3 Tridimensional Reality of Human Beings.- 13.4 What is Suffering?.- 13.5 Caring for Suffering People.- 13.6 Conclusion.- 7 Pain Relief.- 14 Therapeutic Approaches to Bone Cancer Pain.- 14.1 Introduction.- 14.2 Bone Metastases and Pain.- 14.3 Management of Bone Pain.- 14.4 Conclusion.- Conclusion.