TURKISH JOURNAL of ONCOLOGY Relationship Between IL-18 and Bone Metastasis in Female Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most frequently occurring type of cancer in women, and the most common cause of cancer-related mortality after lung cancer. One of every 9 women has a risk of developing invasive breast cancer during her lifetime.[1] Nearly 25% of breast cancer metastases initially involve bone, and bone metastases are observed in nearly 70% of patients with metastatic breast cancer. Bone metastases are important etiological factors for morbidity and mortality. With the presence of bone metastases secondary to breast cancer, pain, hypercalcemia, fractures, and nerve compression are frequently observed.[2] Tumor biology should be better understood, and mechanisms of the metastatic process should be more comprehensively investigated in an effort to decrease development of bone metastasis in breast cancer, emergence of related complications, and mortality rates.