[Bone metastases of colorectal cancers: apropos of 8 cases]

Having found, in the same medical centre, an abnormally high (15%) frequency of bone metastases from colorectal carcinoma, the authors report a series of 8 cases and review what is now known of this reputed rare (4%) metastases. Their clinical and imaging features are not very different from secondary bone lesions of other origins. They usually appear approximately 5 years after the primary tumour has been diagnosed; and they are rarely isolated, being part of a diffuse metastatic disease; their prognosis is in fact conditioned by visceral metastases (liver, lung, peritoneum). Concerning treatment, pain relieving radiotherapy is crucial, as witnesses by the authors. Chemotherapy must always be prescribed for its proven effectiveness against visceral lesions. The other medicinal treatments (e.g. analgesics, bisphosphonates) are very useful. Surgery must be reserved to emergency situations (spinal cord compression) and to patients in good general condition. To our 8 patients these treatments brought comfort and increased survival. Survivals of at least 6 to 9 months were obtained, and one patient is still alive 14 months after the diagnosis of bone metastasis. These results compare favourably with the 4 months median survival observed in other series.