Epidemiology of bone metastases

Bone. 2022 May:158:115783. doi: 10.1016/j.bone.2020.115783. Epub 2020 Dec 1.

Abstract

Background: This study evaluated the incidence of de novo bone metastasis across all primary cancer sites and their impact on survival by primary cancer site, age, race, and sex.

Questions/purposes: Our objectives were (I) characterize the epidemiology of de novo bone metastasis with respect to patient demographics, (II) characterize the incidence by primary site, age, and sex (2010-2015), and (III) compare survival of de novo metastatic cancer patients with and without bone metastasis.

Methods: This is a retrospective, population-based study using nationally representative data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program, 2010-2015. Incidence rates by year of diagnosis, annual percentage changes, Kaplan-Meier, univariate and multiple Cox regression models are included in the analysis.

Results: Of patients with cancer in the SEER database, 5.1% were diagnosed with metastasis to bone, equaling ~18.8 per 100,000 bone metastasis diagnoses in the US per year (2010-2015). For adults >25, lung cancer is the most common primary site (2015 rate: 8.7 per 100,000) with de novo bone metastases, then prostate and breast primaries (2015 rates: 3.19 and 2.38 per 100,000, respectively). For patients <20 years old, endocrine cancers and soft tissue sarcomas are the most common primaries. Incidence is increasing for prostate (Annual Percentage Change (APC) = 4.6%, P < 0.001) and stomach (APC = 5.0%, P = 0.001) cancers. The presence of de novo bone metastasis was associated with a limited reduction in overall survival (HR = 1.02, 95%, CI = [1.01-1.03], p < 0.001) when compared to patients with other non-bone metastases.

Conclusion: The presence of bone metastasis versus metastasis to other sites has disease site-specific impact on survival. The incidence of de novo bone metastasis varies by age, sex, and primary disease site.

Keywords: Bone metastases; Cancer; Epidemiology; Population-based studies; Survival.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Bone Neoplasms* / epidemiology
  • Bone Neoplasms* / pathology
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms* / epidemiology
  • Lung Neoplasms* / pathology
  • Male
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Retrospective Studies
  • SEER Program
  • Young Adult