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Palliative care in orthopaedic surgical oncology.

Aubert PM, O'Donnell RJ

UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center, Orthopaedic Oncology Service, 1600 Divisadero Street, San Francisco, CA 94115-1939, USA.

Hundreds of thousands of Americans are affected every year by skeletal complications of oncologic disease. Recent developments in medical oncology, radiation oncology and radiology, particularly with respect to the use of bisphosphonate medication and radiofrequency techniques, have served to greatly lessen the morbidity associated with metastatic skeletal disease. Similarly, there has been significant advancement in the field of orthopaedic oncology in the areas of internal fixation, endoprosthetic implant design, and minimally invasive kyphoplasty technology. Given the palliative intent of intervention in this patient population, the goal of treatment of skeletal metastases must be optimization of limb function and ultimately, quality of life.

Published 10 December 2007 in Surg Oncol, 16(4): 311-30.
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