A retrospective analysis was performed comparing the survival in 483 patients with advanced breast cancer during the period from 1962 to 1986.
Results: Initial bone metastasis was found in 22%, and in 77% during course. The sites of bone metastasis were found more frequent in lumbar, thoracic, pelvis, rib, extremity and skull. Complications required with bone metastases were found in 19% of hypercalcemia which serum calcium level was more than 11 mg/dl, 14% of bone fracture, 10% sever spinal cord compression. Each complications caused by bone metastases had influence on the quality of life, but it had not effect on the patients survivals. Multidisciplinary treatment has been utilized as systemic therapy, such as combined chemoendocrine therapy. As local intensive therapy, the patients were treated with irradiation or surgical therapy. The patients with hypercalcemia were treated with calcitonin and mithramycin. Those treatments were useful for the prolongation of survival and the improvement of quality. As a result of those therapies, recently, the survival has been significantly prolonged. Especially, the survival in effective cases with those treatments was prolonged than the uncontrolled groups.