Patient: My friend’s mother had breast cancer in her left breast removed four years ago. In the past six months, she has been feeling sore and swollen in many parts of her body, especially the bones in her hip and spine. I want to know how likely this is. Why would there be bone metastasis if it has been removed? What special tests should the patient undergo and what treatment options are available? Since the patient is old, almost 70, is there any conservative treatment method? Shen Zhan, Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital: Your local doctor’s analysis is reasonable, the risk of bone metastasis in breast cancer patients is up to 60% or more. Cancer cells have a ‘vice’, that is, they can slip out from the primary lesion and run to other organs, such as bones, liver and lungs. Once the conditions are ripe, it will keep growing, and this is what people usually call ‘metastasis’. Therefore, even though the primary lesion is removed, some cancer cells may slip out during or before the removal and lurk until a certain time to ‘make waves’. Therefore, once breast cancer patients have pain, soreness and other discomfort in bones, they should be reviewed in time. Older patients can choose conservative treatment, such as endocrine therapy, which can sometimes achieve good treatment results.