Education For Healthy Life

There are several effective ways to treat breast cancer that has spread (metastasized) to bone. The treatment used is tailored to the needs of each patient. Bone cancer in one location. If the cancer has spread to bone in only one spot, radiation may be given to treat the bone. In general, this will relieve the pain and prevent
fractures at this site.

Bone cancer in several locations. If breast cancer has spread to several places in the bones, radiation treatment to all of the sites may not be possible because of limitations in the total amount of radiation that can be given safely. In this case, the patient may be given anticancer therapy with hormonal treatment or chemotherapy. Pain relief treatment. Patients experiencing bone pain should be given pain medication.
This may include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and/or drugscontaining opiates (narcotic pain killers). Radioactive therapy with strontium or samarium may also be used to treat painful bone tumors.


Drugs that help stop abnormal bone loss. Patients whose breast cancer has spread to bone may be given bisphosphonate drugs such as Aredia® and Zometa® to help slow or stop the cancer from destroying bone tissue. Pamidronate (Aredia®). In 1995, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Pamidronate for the treatment of breast cancer that spreads to the bone and myeloma bone disease. This bisphosphonate drug is given by intravenous (IV) infusion every three to four weeks. Zoledronic acid (Zometa®), a stronger bisphosphonate, was approved by the FDA in 2002 for the treatment of cancers that spread to bone. Zoledronic acid is given by IV every three to four weeks and can be used with standard anti-cancer therapy.