Metastatic bone disease: Have we improved after a decade of guidelines?

OBJECTIVES: Guidelines for the management of patients with metastatic bone disease (MBD) have been available to the orthopaedic community for more than a decade, with little improvement in service provision to this increasingly large patient group. Improvements in adjuvant and neo-adjuvant treatments have increased both the number and overall survival of patients living with MBD. As a consequence the incidence of complications of MBD presenting to surgeons has increased and is set to increase further. The British Orthopaedic Oncology Society (BOOS) are to publish more revised detailed guidelines on what represents ‘best practice’ in managing patients with MBD. This article is designed to coincide with and publicise new BOOS guidelines and once again champion the cause of patients with MBD. METHODS: A series of short cases highlight common errors frequently being made in managing patients with MBD despite the availability of guidelines. RESULTS: Despite guidelines for the management of patients with MBD being available for more than a decade basic errors in management continue to be made, affecting patient survival and quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: It is hoped that by publicising the new BOOS guidelines the management of patients with MBD will improve over the next decade, significantly more than it has over the last decade.