INTRODUCTIONMorbidity and mortality from malignant diseases are usually the result of metastasis. The bone is the third most common site of metastasis.

METHODSThis is a retrospective study of patients with metastatic bone disease who were referred to the Orthopaedic Department of University Malaya Medical Centre, Malaysia, between January 2004 and October 2009.

RESULTSA total of 151 patients (51.0% men, 49.0% women) had metastatic bone disease, with the highest incidence at the age range of 50-59 years. The commonest primary cancer was breast (23.3%), followed by lung (21.2%), prostate (9.3%), thyroid (7.3%) and renal cell carcinoma (5.3%); unknown primary cancer was 6.6%. There was long bone involvement in 52.7% of cases, axial bone in 44.5%, and both long and axial bones in 2.8%. The majority (90.1%) were symptomatic, with pain as the commonest symptom. 106 (70.2%) patients had pathological fractures. Neurological deficit was reported in 90.7% of patients, with 41.1% having extraskeletal metastases. 67.8% of the lesions were osteolytic, 24.3% were sclerotic, and 7.9%, mixed. Palliative and therapeutic interventions were undertaken for 62.0% of patients. The mean survival times were: breast 21.0; thyroid 20.7; prostate 20.3; lung 16.0; and unknown primary cancer 32.6 months.

CONCLUSIONIn our study, breast and lung cancers were the commonest primary cancers in metastatic bone disease. Most patients had more than one site of involvement, pain at presentation and pathological fractures. Surgery is beneficial to relieve pain and improve function and neurology. Duration of survival depends on the type of primary cancer and whether systemic metastasis is present.