ABSTRACT
With the skeleton being one of the most frequent sites of metastases, cancer-induced bone pain (CIBP) is one of the most commonly encountered cancer pain syndromes. Skeletal-related events (e.g., CIBP, fractures, and spinal cord compression) appear over time during the course of the bone metastases. CIBP usually manifests as continuous background pain with episodes of pain flare, known as breakthrough cancer pain (BT(c)P). BT(c)P can have ominous consequences for quality and length of life. The pathophysiology of CIBP involves mechanical instability, nerve damage and deformation, inflammation, and central nervous system sensitization. Diagnosis and treatment of CIBP requires a multimodal approach, including pharmacotherapy, rehabilitation, surgery, interventional radiology, and radiation therapy. As progress in cancer screening and therapy leads to improved survival, an increasing number of people are living with multisystem health complications of cancer treatment. One example is cancer treatment–induced bone loss (CTIBL), which requires a systematic approach to prevent long-term consequences.
