Femoral metastases from carcinoma of the breast. Pathological and clinical aspects.

In long bone metastases from breast carcinoma, the femur is the bone most frequently involved. Osteolysis is brought about by the osteoclasts, by the neoplastic cells themselves, and to some extent by autolysis of the osseous tissue adjacent to the metastasis. When the metastases are asymptomatic, radiotherapy and antiblastic chemotherapy are indicated, but with symptomatic metastases and spontaneous fractures surgical intervention is indicated. This consists either of prosthetic replacement or of intramedullary fixation complemented by chemotherapy and radiotherapy.