Education For Healthy Life

Breast cancer in the bone can cause pain, fractures, pressure on the nerves of the spinal cord, and high levels of calcium in the blood. Patients who experience any of the symptoms described below should tell their doctor at once because there are good treatments for each and it is important to start them quickly. Pain that feels like it is in the bone is the most common symptom that breast cancer has spread to bone. Such pain may occur with or without a fracture.

Fractures can occur when the hard surface of the bone is weakened by the growth of
breast cancer cells. For example:

― Weight-bearing bones such as those in the legs are at highest risk of such fractures.
Accordingly, pain in the knee, thigh, or groin when walking may be a symptom of
breast cancer that has spread to the bone. Such pain can be a warning that the bone
could fracture as the result of very little stress, such as that caused by exercise.
― An arm bone weakened by breast cancer may break from stress, for example, from
the force of lifting or carrying a heavy object.
― When breast cancer spreads to the spine, a vertebra may fracture and collapse on
itself, causing back pain.
Cancer in the spine can also lead to pressure on the nerves in the spinal cord that causes
weakness or numbness in the arms and/or legs.
Less often, the spread of breast cancer to bone releases excess calcium into the blood.
High levels of calcium in the blood (hypercalcemia) can cause symptoms such as:
― Being very thirsty and urinating a lot.
― Constipation (difficult bowel movements).
― Loss of appetite.
― Being very sleepy.
― Confusion.
― Coma (this is rare).
Patients experiencing any of the symptoms of hypercalcemia should seek medical
attention at once.