**1. Introduction**

Bone metastases are more common than primary bone cancers, especially in adults [1]. Bone is the third most common organ affected by metastases, from many types of solid cancers but especially those arising in the breast and prostate [1–3]. The most common locations for metastatic disease are the vertebral column, sacrum, pelvis, and proximal femurs [4].

The overall incidence of bone metastases is not known [1, 2]. It is estimated to have an incidence in about 70% of patients with breast and prostate cancer, which are the two most common cancers worldwide, but bone metastases can occur in a wide range of malignancies, described in **Table 1** [2, 3, 5].

In terms of prognosis, survival varies according to the tumor type, with the median survival of patients with breast and prostate cancer reaching years and of patients with lung cancer being measured in months, and it is also influenced


### **Table 1.**

*Incidence of bone metastases in different cancers.*

by coexisting non-osseous metastatic disease, which ends up being important in determining the prognosis [3]. However, bone metastases may have a big impact on morbidity and represents a significant healthcare burden [3, 6].
