With bone metastases found to develop in more than half of patients with advanced cancers, this remarkable reference sheds much-needed light on the relation of various cancers-particularly breast and prostate cancer and multiple myeloma-to bone morbidity. The book addresses new therapies that can reduce the frequency of morbid skeletal events by as much as half. Examines cancer's effects on bone tissue from pathophysiological, diagnostic, monitoring, and therapeutic points of view! Written by more than 40 international experts in the field, Tumor Bone Diseases and Osteoporosis in Cancer Patients reviews the basics of bone physiology investigates the propensity of breast cancer cells to metastasize in bone due primarily to the abundance of growth factors in the skeletal microenvironment-strongly supporting the seed-and-soil hypothesis of the metastatic process discusses the efficacy of local radiotherapy and radioactive isotopes in treating bone metastases covers endocrine and chemotherapy trials on patients with bone metastases explores osteoclast activation and direct osteolytic effects of metastatic cancer cells evaluates the noncytotoxic treatments of bisphosphonates as potent inhibitors of osteoclast-mediated bone resorption assesses bisphosphonates as agents for ameliorating pain and preventing metastases in cancer patients describes preventive therapy against osteoporosis and more! Containing over 1700 references and more than 200 tables, drawings, and micrographs, Tumor Bone Diseases and Osteoporosis in Cancer Patients is a first-rank resource for medical, surgical, and clinical oncologists and radiotherapists, endocrinologists, internists, biologists, biochemists, and graduate and medical school students in these disciplines.