Which cancers have a high likelihood of metastasizing to the sternum?

Which cancers have a high likelihood of metastasizing to the sternum?

• A. Lung and Colon
• B. Renal Cell Carcinoma and Thyroid Carcinoma
• C. Breast and Prostate
• D. Melanoma and Sarcoma

Answer: (B)

Metastasis to the sternum occurs most often from cancers that strongly seed the axial skeleton through the bloodstream. The sternum is part of the central skeleton and has abundant red marrow, which provides a fertile environment for circulating tumor cells. Among common solid tumors, breast cancer and prostate cancer have the highest tendency to metastasize to bone, including the sternum. Breast cancer regularly spreads to bone and can produce destructive or mixed lesions, while prostate cancer classically causes osteoblastic (sclerotic) bone metastases in the axial skeleton, often involving the sternum. Other cancers such as renal cell carcinoma and thyroid carcinoma do metastasize to bone but less frequently target the sternum specifically, and melanomas or sarcomas, while capable of bone spread, do not show as strong a sternum predilection as breast and prostate.

Metastasis to the sternum occurs most often from cancers that strongly seed the axial skeleton through the bloodstream. The sternum is part of the central skeleton and has abundant red marrow, which provides a fertile environment for circulating tumor cells. Among common solid tumors, breast cancer and prostate cancer have the highest tendency to metastasize to bone, including the sternum. Breast cancer regularly spreads to bone and can produce destructive or mixed lesions, while prostate cancer classically causes osteoblastic (sclerotic) bone metastases in the axial skeleton, often involving the sternum. Other cancers such as renal cell carcinoma and thyroid carcinoma do metastasize to bone but less frequently target the sternum specifically, and melanomas or sarcomas, while capable of bone spread, do not show as strong a sternum predilection as breast and prostate.