Year: 2025 | Month: March | Volume: 12 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 391-395
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijrr.20250348
Patterns of Bone Metastasis in Breast, Colorectal, and Thyroid Cancers: A Systematic Review
Dandy Drestanto Adiwignyo1, Istan Irmansyah Irsan1, Satria Pandu Persada Isma1, Nan Bareno Chairus2
1Orthopaedic and Traumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya – Saiful Anwar General Hospital, Malang, Indonesia
Corresponding Author: Dandy Drestanto Adiwignyo
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Bone metastases are a major issue in oncology, causing severe complications like pain, fractures, and reduced quality of life. Different cancers have distinct patterns of metastatic spread, with breast and prostate cancers often affecting bones, while thyroid and colon cancers have more variable tendencies. Understanding these patterns is crucial for guiding diagnostic vigilance and optimizing patient management strategies.
Method: This systematic review uses the PRISMA 2020 methodology to search for articles related to bone metastasis sites in stage IV breast, thyroid, and colon cancer. The articles included from 2014-2024, with the main outcome described as the initial diagnosed distribution of bone metastasis sites.
Results: 181 studies on bone metastasis in 1742 patients with stage IV cancer, focusing on breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and thyroid cancer. The predominant site of bone metastases in breast cancer is the rib cage-sternum (30.8%), whereas in colorectal cancer, it is the spinal column (37.9%). In differentiated thyroid cancer, it is also the spinal column (36.78%).
Discussion: Breast cancer's propensity to metastasize to the rib cage and sternum due to anatomical proximity and the rich vascular supply of the thoracic bones. In contrast, the predilection for spinal and pelvic metastases in colorectal cancer and differentiated thyroid cancer patients reflect the venous drainage patterns and the Batson venous plexus, which facilitates the spread of cancer cells to the axial skeleton.
Conclusion: Unique bone metastasis patterns in BC, CRC, and DTC patients emphasize the need for cancer-specific surveillance and management strategies and call for further studies.
Keywords: breast neoplasms, colorectal neoplasms, neoplasm metastasis, thyroid neoplasms.
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