Types of treatments used for secondary bone cancer

The treatment for a secondary bone cancer depends on the type of primary cancer. For example, prostate cancer cells may have broken away from the prostate gland, travelled in the blood to the bone and begun to grow and multiply there. So the cancer cells in the bone will respond to the same type of treatment as the cancer cells in the prostate.

The aim of treatment for a secondary bone cancer is to:

• relieve any symptoms and make you more comfortable
• reduce the number of cancer cells
• reduce the risk of developing a fracture of a bone
• reduce the risk of developing a high calcium level in the blood (hypercalcaemia)

Apart from painkillers, the main treatment used to relieve symptoms is radiotherapy. This may be given by a machine (similar to an x-ray machine) as external beam radiotherapy or as a radioisotope. A radioisotope is a radioactive liquid usually given as an injection or by a drip into a vein.

To treat the underlying cancer, chemotherapy or hormonal therapy, or a combination of the two, may be given. The type of treatment you have will depend on where your cancer started. This is because the secondary cancer cells in the bone have come from the primary cancer site and will usually respond to the same type of treatment as the primary cancer.

To reduce the risk of fracture or hypercalcaemia, bone strengthening drugs known as bisphosphonates may be used.