Bone metastasis and rehabilitation

Abstract

Patients with cancer that has metastasized to bone will frequently develop functional problems that may respond to rehabilitative treatment. Many rehabilitation professionals, however, are concerned about the possibility of producing pathologic fracture with their treatment. Several methods have been proposed for identifying which malignant lesions in bone are at risk of fracture. In this article, these methods are reviewed and statistical analyses of them are presented. The risk of rehabilitating patients with bony metastases is also reviewed, as are the reported outcomes of these rehabilitation efforts. Standard approaches to the rehabilitation of these patients have evolved, although most of them have not been rigorously validated, and these are discussed. None of the methods for identifying lesions at risk of pathologic fracture are useful in other than long bones, and they are limited even there. The risk of producing pathologic fractures in cancer patients by increasing mobility and function, however, is low. Satisfactory outcomes have been demonstrated in attempting to rehabilitate patients who have had recent surgical repair of pathologic or impending fractures. Rehabilitation of cancer patients with bony metastases can be safely and effectively accomplished using standard approaches to the treatment of these patients. Cancer 2001;92:1020–8. © 2001 American Cancer Society.