Multiple operations in patients with bony metastases and a prolonged course of disease.

A retrospective study of 19 patients suffering from bone metastases with a survival time of more than 24 months, and having undergone at least three operations, is reported. Fourteen patients had to have multiple surgery because of local recurrences after internal fixation supported by bone cement (n = 12) or tumour resection alone (n = 2). Only five of 19 patients had several operations because of multiple-site bony metastases without any unnecessary surgery as a result of failed local tumour control with recurrences. A complete and extralesional resection of solitary bone metastases with a potentially poor response to radiotherapy, such as hypernephroma, could help to avoid additional surgery in patients with a shortened life expectancy.