Pathogenesis of myeloma bone disease

GD Roodman - Journal of cellular biochemistry, 2010 - Wiley Online Library
Journal of cellular biochemistry, 2010Wiley Online Library
Multiple myeloma (MM) is the most common cancer to involve bone with up to 90% of
patients developing bone lesions. The bone lesions are purely osteolytic in nature and do
not heal in the vast majority of patients. Up to 60% of patients develop pathologic fractures
over the course of their disease. Bone disease is a hallmark of MM, and myeloma bone
disease differs from bone metastasis caused by other tumors. Although myeloma and other
osteolytic metastases induce increased osteoclastic bone destruction, in contrast to other …
Abstract
Multiple myeloma (MM) is the most common cancer to involve bone with up to 90% of patients developing bone lesions. The bone lesions are purely osteolytic in nature and do not heal in the vast majority of patients. Up to 60% of patients develop pathologic fractures over the course of their disease. Bone disease is a hallmark of MM, and myeloma bone disease differs from bone metastasis caused by other tumors. Although myeloma and other osteolytic metastases induce increased osteoclastic bone destruction, in contrast to other tumors, once myeloma tumor burden exceeds 50% in a local area, osteoblast activity is either severely depressed or absent. The basis for this severe imbalance between increased osteoclastic bone resorption and decreased bone formation has been the topic of intensive investigation over the last several years. These studies have helped to identify novel targets for treating myeloma bone disease and will be discussed in this chapter. J. Cell. Biochem. 109: 283–291, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Wiley Online Library