Skip to main content

Metastatic Disease

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Musculoskeletal Imaging

Abstract

Metastatic bone disease is common. It is detected in up to 65–75% of patients with breast or prostate cancer and in over 35% of patients with lung cancer. Metastatic bone disease can cause a variety of symptoms and is often associated with a poorer prognosis and high social and health care costs. Early and accurate diagnosis of bone metastases is therefore crucial. The patterns and presentation of metastatic bone disease are quite heterogeneous and necessitate good knowledge of the possibilities and limitations of each imaging modality. Bone metastases commonly localize to the spinal column, pelvis, shoulder, and distal femur. The chapter reviews the pathophysiology and radiological features of bone metastases in different imaging modalities, especially MRI, as it is the most accurate technique to detect bone metastases using morphological and functional information and is also helpful in follow-up after treatment.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Sathiakumar N, Delzell E, Morrisey MA, Falkson C, Yong M, Chia V, et al. Mortality following bone metastasis and skeletal-related events among men with prostate cancer: a population-based analysis of US Medicare beneficiaries, 1999–2006. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis. 2011;14(2):177–83.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Barlev A, Song X, Ivanov B, Setty V, Chung K. Payer costs for inpatient treatment of pathologic fracture, surgery to bone, and spinal cord compression among patients with multiple myeloma or bone metastasis secondary to prostate or breast cancer. J Manag Care Pharm. 2010;16(9):693–702.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Feller L, Kramer B, Lemmer J. A short account of metastatic bone disease. Cancer Cell Int. 2011;11:24.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Suva LJ, Washam C, Nicholas RW, Griffin RJ. Bone metastasis: mechanisms and therapeutic opportunities. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2011;7(4):208–18.

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Coleman RE. Clinical features of metastatic bone disease and risk of skeletal morbidity. Clin Cancer Res. 2006;12(20 Pt 2):6243s–9s.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Hernandez RK, Wade SW, Reich A, Pirolli M, Liede A, Lyman GH. Incidence of bone metastases in patients with solid tumors: analysis of oncology electronic medical records in the United States. BMC Cancer. 2018;18(1):44.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Migliorini F, Maffulli N, Trivellas A, Eschweiler J, Tingart M, Driessen A. Bone metastases: a comprehensive review of the literature. Mol Biol Rep. 2020;47(8):6337–45.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Levren G, Sadik M, Gjertsson P, Lomsky M, Michanek A, Edenbrandt L. Relation between pain and skeletal metastasis in patients with prostate or breast cancer. Clin Physiol Funct Imaging. 2011;31(3):193–5.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Walls J, Bundred N, Howell A. Hypercalcemia and bone resorption in malignancy. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1995;312:51–63.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Burtis WJ, Brady TG, Orloff JJ, Ersbak JB, Warrell RP, Olson BR, et al. Immunochemical characterization of circulating parathyroid hormone-related protein in patients with humoral hypercalcemia of cancer. N Engl J Med. 1990;322(16):1106–12.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Walls J, Ratcliffe WA, Howell A, Bundred NJ. Response to intravenous bisphosphonate therapy in hypercalcaemic patients with and without bone metastases: the role of parathyroid hormone-related protein. Br J Cancer. 1994;70(1):169–72.

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Batson OV. The function of the vertebral veins and their role in the spread of metastases. Ann Surg. 1940;112(1):138–49.

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Guise TA, Mohammad KS, Clines G, Stebbins EG, Wong DH, Higgins LS, et al. Basic mechanisms responsible for osteolytic and osteoblastic bone metastases. Clin Cancer Res. 2006;12(20 Pt 2):6213s–6s.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Orcajo-Rincon J, Muñoz-Langa J, Sepúlveda-Sánchez JM, Fernández-Pérez GC, Martínez M, Noriega-Álvarez E, et al. Review of imaging techniques for evaluating morphological and functional responses to the treatment of bone metastases in prostate and breast cancer. Clin Transl Oncol. 2022;24(7):1290–310.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Vilanova JC, García-Figueiras R, Luna A, Baleato-González S, Tomás X, Narváez JA. Update on whole-body MRI in musculoskeletal applications. Semin Musculoskelet Radiol. 2019;23(3):312–23.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Jambor I, Kuisma A, Ramadan S, Huovinen R, Sandell M, Kajander S, et al. Prospective evaluation of planar bone scintigraphy, SPECT, SPECT/CT, (18)F-NaF PET/CT and whole body 1.5T MRI, including DWI, for the detection of bone metastases in high risk breast and prostate cancer patients: SKELETA clinical trial. Acta Oncol. 2016;55(1):59–67.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Wu L-M, Gu H-Y, Zheng J, Xu X, Lin L-H, Deng X, et al. Diagnostic value of whole-body magnetic resonance imaging for bone metastases: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2011;34(1):128–35.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Vilanova JC, Baleato-Gonzalez S, Romero MJ, Carrascoso-Arranz J, Luna A. Assessment of musculoskeletal malignancies with functional MR imaging. Magn Reson Imaging Clin N Am. 2016;24(1):239–59.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Buus TW, Rasmussen F, Nellemann HM, Løgager V, Jensen AB, Hauerslev KR, et al. Comparison of contrast-enhanced CT, dual-layer detector spectral CT, and whole-body MRI in suspected metastatic breast cancer: a prospective diagnostic accuracy study. Eur Radiol. 2021;31(12):8838–49.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Taoka T, Mayr NA, Lee HJ, Yuh WT, Simonson TM, Rezai K, et al. Factors influencing visualization of vertebral metastases on MR imaging versus bone scintigraphy. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2001;176(6):1525–30.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Even-Sapir E, Martin RH, Barnes DC, Pringle CR, Iles SE, Mitchell MJ. Role of SPECT in differentiating malignant from benign lesions in the lower thoracic and lumbar vertebrae. Radiology. 1993;187(1):193–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Wu P-S, Chiu N-T, Lee B-F, Yao W-J, Chen HHW. Clinical significance of solitary rib hot spots on bone scans in patients with extraskeletal cancer: correlation with other clinical manifestations. Clin Nucl Med. 2002;27(8):567–71.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Ciray I, Aström G, Andréasson I, Edekling T, Hansen J, Bergh J, et al. Evaluation of new sclerotic bone metastases in breast cancer patients during treatment. Acta Radiol. 2000;41(2):178–82.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Yang H-L, Liu T, Wang X-M, Xu Y, Deng S-M. Diagnosis of bone metastases: a meta-analysis comparing 18FDG PET, CT, MRI and bone scintigraphy. Eur Radiol. 2011;21(12):2604–17.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Zhou J, Gou Z, Wu R, Yuan Y, Yu G, Zhao Y. Comparison of PSMA-PET/CT, choline-PET/CT, NaF-PET/CT, MRI, and bone scintigraphy in the diagnosis of bone metastases in patients with prostate cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Skelet Radiol. 2019;48(12):1915–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Versteeg AL, Verlaan J-J, Sahgal A, Mendel E, Quraishi NA, Fourney DR, et al. The spinal instability neoplastic score: impact on oncologic decision-making. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2016;41(Suppl 20):S231–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Kim SH, Smith SE, Mulligan ME. Hematopoietic tumors and metastases involving bone. Radiol Clin N Am. 2011;49(6):1163–83. vi

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Chen W-T, Shih TT-F, Chen R-C, Lo H-Y, Chou C-T, Lee J-M, et al. Blood perfusion of vertebral lesions evaluated with gadolinium-enhanced dynamic MRI: in comparison with compression fracture and metastasis. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2002;15(3):308–14.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Georgy BA. Metastatic spinal lesions: state-of-the-art treatment options and future trends. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2008;29(9):1605–11.

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Maeder Y, Dunet V, Richard R, Becce F, Omoumi P. Bone marrow metastases: T2-weighted Dixon Spin-Echo fat images can replace T1-weighted Spin-Echo images. Radiology. 2018;286(3):948–59.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Schweitzer ME, Levine C, Mitchell DG, Gannon FH, Gomella LG. Bull’s-eyes and halos: useful MR discriminators of osseous metastases. Radiology. 1993;188(1):249–52.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Arana E, Kovacs FM, Royuela A, Asenjo B, Nagib F, Pérez-Aguilera S, et al. Metastatic versus osteoporotic vertebral fractures on MRI: a blinded, multicenter, and multispecialty observer agreement evaluation. J Natl Compr Cancer Netw. 2020;18(3):267–73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Bacher S, Hajdu SD, Maeder Y, Dunet V, Hilbert T, Omoumi P. Differentiation between benign and malignant vertebral compression fractures using qualitative and quantitative analysis of a single fast spin echo T2-weighted Dixon sequence. Eur Radiol. 2021;31(12):9418–27.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Isaac A, Dalili D, Dalili D, Weber M-A. State-of-the-art imaging for diagnosis of metastatic bone disease. Radiologe. 2020;60(Suppl 1):1–16.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Guan Y, Peck KK, Lyo J, Tisnado J, Lis E, Arevalo-Perez J, et al. T1-weighted dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI to differentiate nonneoplastic and malignant vertebral body lesions in the spine. Radiology. 2020;297(2):382–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Yuzawa Y, Ebara S, Kamimura M, Tateiwa Y, Kinoshita T, Itoh H, et al. Magnetic resonance and computed tomography-based scoring system for the differential diagnosis of vertebral fractures caused by osteoporosis and malignant tumors. J Orthop Sci. 2005;10(4):345–52.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Bosma SE, Vriens D, Gelderblom H, van de Sande MJ, Dijkstra PDS, Bloem JL. 18F-FDG PET-CT versus MRI for detection of skeletal metastasis in Ewing sarcoma. Skelet Radiol. 2019;48(11):1735–46.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Taira AV, Herfkens RJ, Gambhir SS, Quon A. Detection of bone metastases: assessment of integrated FDG PET/CT imaging. Radiology. 2007;243(1):204–11.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Mirels H. Metastatic disease in long bones. A proposed scoring system for diagnosing impending pathologic fractures. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1989;249:256–64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Carpineta L, Gagné M. The ivory vertebra: an approach to investigation and management based on two case studies. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2002;27(9):E242–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Coury C. Hippocration fingers and hypertrophic osteoarthropathy. A study of 350 cases. Br J Dis Chest. 1960;54:202–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Patten RM, Shuman WP, Teefey S. Subcutaneous metastases from malignant melanoma: prevalence and findings on CT. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1989;152(5):1009–12.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Haygood TM, Wong J, Lin JC, Li S, Matamoros A, Costelloe CM, et al. Skeletal muscle metastases: a three-part study of a not-so-rare entity. Skelet Radiol. 2012;41(8):899–909.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Currall VA, Dixon JH. Synovial metastasis: an unusual cause of pain after total knee arthroplasty. J Arthroplast. 2008;23(4):631–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Phillips CD, Pope TL, Jones JE, Keats TE, MacMillan RH. Nontraumatic avulsion of the lesser trochanter: a pathognomonic sign of metastatic disease? Skelet Radiol. 1988;17(2):106–10.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Ries T. Detection of osteoporotic sacral fractures with radionuclides. Radiology. 1983;146(3):783–5.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. Harrington KD. Orthopedic surgical management of skeletal complications of malignancy. Cancer. 1997;80(Suppl 8):1614–27.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. Frassica DA. General principles of external beam radiation therapy for skeletal metastases. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2003;415 Suppl:S158–64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  49. Wedin R, Bauer HC, Rutqvist LE. Surgical treatment for skeletal breast cancer metastases: a population-based study of 641 patients. Cancer. 2001;92(2):257–62.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  50. Thanos L, Mylona S, Galani P, Tzavoulis D, Kalioras V, Tanteles S, et al. Radiofrequency ablation of osseous metastases for the palliation of pain. Skelet Radiol. 2008;37(3):189–94.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. Eisenhauer EA, Therasse P, Bogaerts J, Schwartz LH, Sargent D, Ford R, et al. New response evaluation criteria in solid tumours: revised RECIST guideline (version 1.1). Eur J Cancer. 2009;45(2):228–47.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  52. Padhani AR, Lecouvet FE, Tunariu N, Koh D-M, De Keyzer F, Collins DJ, et al. METastasis reporting and data system for prostate cancer: practical guidelines for acquisition, interpretation, and reporting of whole-body magnetic resonance imaging-based evaluations of multiorgan involvement in advanced prostate cancer. Eur Urol. 2017;71(1):81–92.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joan C. Vilanova .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Section Editor information

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Vilanova, J.C., Mulligan, M.E., Flemming, D.J., Murphey, M.D. (2023). Metastatic Disease. In: Pope, T., Bloem, J.L., Morrison, W.B., Wilson, D.J., White, L. (eds) Musculoskeletal Imaging. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57376-8_91-1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57376-8_91-1

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-57376-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-57376-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference MedicineReference Module Medicine

Publish with us

Policies and ethics