Advanced breast cancer frequently spreads to bone, and the resulting bone destruction is associated with a variety of skeletal complications, including pathologic fractures, bone pain, impaired mobility, spinal cord compression, and hypercalcemia. Treatment options for these patients may include radiation therapy, surgery, bisphosphonates, and analgesics, in addition to standard anticancer therapy. The primary goals of therapy are to minimize bone pain and morbidity and improve mobility and quality of life.

Besides the effects of cancer on bone, many of the treatments necessary in the adjuvant setting may cause an increased rate of bone loss leading to osteoporosis and an enhanced risk of fracture. Osteoporosis in patients with breast cancer is likely to be of growing importance due to the increasing incidence of the disease coupled with significant improvements in survival, with a 10-year survival probability of about 70%.