Bone Metastasis from Solid Tumors: Biologic and Clinical State of the Art

AbstractBone metastases are a frequent and debilitating consequence for many tumors, of which breast, lung, prostate, and kidney cancer are the most common. The dialog among cancer cells, bone microenvironment, and immune system regulates bone metastasis formation. Indeed, bone and immune system are strictly linked to each other because bone regulates the hematopoietic stem cells from which all cells of the immune system derive. Many immunoregulatory cytokines influence the fate of bone cells and promote the growth of tumor cells in bone, contributing to sustain the vicious cycle of bone metastasis. Bone is an attractive soil for cancer cells, which can remain dormant for years or directly form bone lesions. The fate of cancer cells after their arrival to bone marrow depends on a complex cross-talk among cancer, bone, and immune cells in the microenvironment. This review provides an overview of the different steps occurring during bone metastatic process, with particular attention to the osteoimmunology field. Furthermore, we will revise the current available clinical approaches for the therapy of bone metastatic patients.
Source: Clinical Reviews in Bone and Mineral Metabolism - Category: Internal Medicine Source Type: research