How is metastatic breast cancer in bones treated?
Breast cancer isn’t one disease, but a group of diseases. So, treatment is personalized to show you’re:
- the specific type of breast cancer
- extent of metastasis
- previous treatments
- age and overall health
- Pain relief
- Depending on your level of pain.
Drugs used may include acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Your doctor may also recommend narcotics for the relief of severe pain. You might also give acupuncture a try.
Localized treatment
Local treatment depends on which bones cancer spreads to and how weak they’ve become. Treatment may include:
- Radiation therapy: This therapy destroys cancer cells in your affected bone.
- Surgery: This is done to help stabilize a fractured bone.
- Bone-strengthening drugs: These drugs include bisphosphonates and denosumab to strengthen bones and lower related skeletal injuries such as fractures, spinal cord compression, or other complications from bone metastases.