Bone metastasis: mechanisms, therapies, and biomarkers

Skeletal metastases are frequent complications of many cancers, causing bone (fractures, pain, disability) that negatively affect the patient’s quality life. Here, we first discuss burden skeletal in cancer metastasis. We then describe pathophysiology Bone metastasis is a multistage process: long before development clinically detectable metastases, circulating tumor cells settle and enter dormant state normal vascular endosteal niches present marrow, which provide immediate attachment shelter, only become active years later as they proliferate alter functions bone-resorbing (osteoclasts) bone-forming (osteoblasts) cells, promoting destruction. The molecular mechanisms involved mediating each these steps described, also explain how interact with myriad interconnected cell populations including rich network, immune adipocytes, nerves. metabolic programs could engage to specifically grow bone. progress future directions existing bone-targeted agents report emerging therapies have arisen from recent advances our understanding metastases. Finally, value turnover biomarkers detection monitoring progression therapeutic effects patients