The Impact of Lung Carcinoma Histology on the Frequency of Bone Metastases

Objective  Lung cancer is the leading cause of death by cancer, and the bones are one of the most common sites of metastasis from this condition. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of lung carcinoma histology on the frequency of bone metastases. Methods  This retrospective study evaluated the medical records of 407 patients diagnosed with lung cancer between 2003 and 2012. The prevalence of bone metastases and their association with histological subtypes were evaluated using chi-squared tests, odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The overall survival was evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results  The prevalence of bone metastases was 28.2% ( n  = 115), and the spine was the most frequently affected site (98 metastases; 32.1%). Adenocarcinoma was the most common histological subtype of lung carcinoma (46.7%), and it was significantly more frequent among patients with bone metastases (58.3% versus 42.1%; p  = 0.003; OR = 1.92; 95% CI: 1.29-2.97). Squamous cell carcinoma was significantly less frequent among patients with bone metastases (13.0% versus 29.8%; p  = 0.0004; OR = 0.35; 95% CI: 0.19-0.64). The median survival time after the first bone metastasis diagnosis was 4 months. Conclusion  Adenocarcinoma was the most common histological subtype of lung carcinoma, and it was significantly associated with a higher risk of developing bone metastases.