Concurrent use of radionuclides and bisphosphonates in bone metastasis: a review

Abstract

Bone is one of the most common sites of distant metastasis of malignant tumors, whose is second only to those of lung metastasis and liver metastasis. Malignant tumors with high incidence of bone metastasis include prostate cancer, breast cancer, and lung cancer, and nearly 70% of patients with advanced breast or prostate cancers have bone metastasis. Bone metastasis often causes pain, fracture, and hypercalcemia, which can seriously affect the quality of life. No standard treatment exists for tumor bone metastasis, and combining multiple therapies is often necessary. Bisphosphonates and radionuclides are extensively used individually to treat multiple bone metastases, but the concurrent use of both drugs is rarely researched. In this paper, recent studies on the concurrent use of radionuclides and bisphosphonates were reviewed. Key words: Neoplasm metastasis; Radiopharmaceuticals; Combined modality therapy; Bisphosphonates