Bone is a living organ, rich in blood supply and nerves. Like any other organ, sensations of pain affecting the skeleton can dramatically decrease quality-of-life scores in companion animals. Given its principal anatomic function for bearing weight, any significant compromise in bone mineral density and quality, poses a risk for severe pain and pathologic fracture. Neoplasms which involve the skeleton can arise primarily from the bone, or secondarily invade or metastasize to the skeleton. In dogs,osteosarcoma is the most common tumor histology associated with focal skeletal pain; however, several additional tumor types have a predilection to involve bone including metastatic carcinoma and hematopoietic neoplasms such as multiple myeloma. In cats,primary bone tumors are much less frequent in comparison to dogs; however, involvement of bone from secondary invasion is common for oral squamous cell carcinoma. Despite the diverse tumor histologies which may pathologically affect bone, the mechanismsfor how tumor cells invade and cause skeletal pain are universally shared between dogs and cats. Understanding how bone cancer pain is generated and sustained remains paramount for developing newer and more effective treatment strategies to improve quality-of-life scores in companion animals suffering from skeletal tumors.
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