Skill Checkup: A 56-Year-Old Woman With a History of Breast Cancer and Pain in Her Ribs and Spine

Pavani Chalasani, MD, MPH; Stefania Morganti, MD

January 23, 2023

HR-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer can relapse into bone metastases, which are often the first detectable distant site. In the current patient, the elevated alkaline phosphatase level was a clue to bone involvement.

The first location of distant metastasis varies by subtype. For instance, liver and lung metastases are more common in HER2-positive and triple-negative subtypes, although breast cancer can potentially spread to almost any site.

1 2 3 4 5 6

Next Section

Any views expressed above are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of WebMD or Medscape.

Cite this: Pavani Chalasani, Stefania Morganti. Skill Checkup: A 56-Year-Old Woman With a History of Breast Cancer and Pain in Her Ribs and Spine - Medscape - Jan 23, 2023.

Comments

Commenting is limited to medical professionals. To comment please Log-in.

Comments on Medscape are moderated and should be professional in tone and on topic. You must declare any conflicts of interest related to your comments and responses. Please see our Commenting Guide for further information. We reserve the right to remove posts at our sole discretion.