Pharmacologic and Radiation Therapies for Cancer-Induced Bone Loss.

Advancements in medical and radiation oncology have improved the prognosis for many cancers during the past few decades. As a result, physicians are challenged with managing a greater burden of disease for a longer time. In orthopaedics, bone loss secondary to metastatic tumor places patients at risk of impending and pathologic fractures. These events limit functional independence, lessen the quality of life, and place a financial burden on patients and their families. Thus, it is important for clinicians to be aware of measures capable of mitigating cancer-induced bone loss.