Metastasis: Lytic Bone Lesion
Cancers are sorted by a combination of rarity, overall frequency of metastases, and predilection for this site.
| Cancer | Frequency | Comments |
| Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma | Common | |
| Renal Cell Carcinoma | Common | |
| Hepatocellular Carcinoma | Common | |
| Melanoma | Uncommon | |
| Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma | Common | predominantly lytic. mixed and blastic lesions have been described, however. |
| Neuroblastoma | Common | Metastatic involvement of the skull has been found in up to 25% of patients with neuroblastoma. Neuroblastoma is the most common malignant metastasis to the skull in children. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2010 May;194(5):1223-9. PMID: 20410407 |
| Esophageal Cancer | Uncommon | |
| Basal Cell Carcinoma | Common | |
| Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck | Uncommon | |
| Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma | Uncommon | second most common site for first distant metastasis |
| Cervical Cancer | Rare | |
| Endometrial Cancer | Rare | |
| Testicular Cancer | Rare | ![]() involvement occurs late |
| Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor | Rare | |
| Gastrointestinal Carcinoid | Uncommon | Classically, these are blastic metastases, but a recent series showed both lytic and blastic lesions (PMID: 12571207). |
| Epithelial Ovarian Cancer | Very Rare | |
| Gallbladder Cancer | Rare | |
| Hemangiopericytoma | Common | |
| Astrocytoma | Common | |
| Cholangiocarcinoma | Very Rare | |
| Hodgkin's Lymphoma | Rare | ![]() Most commonly involves the spine. Involves bone usually by direct extension. |
| Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma | Very Rare | ![]() |
Metastatic involvement of the skull has been found in up to 25% of patients with neuroblastoma. Neuroblastoma is the most common malignant metastasis to the skull in children. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2010 May;194(5):1223-9.