Medications used in people with bone metastasis include:

• Bone-building medications. Medications commonly used to treat people with thinning bones (osteoporosis) may also help people with bone metastasis. These medications can strengthen bones and reduce the pain caused by bone metastasis, reducing the need for strong pain medications. Bone-building medications may also reduce your risk of developing new bone metastasis.

  These drugs can be administered every few weeks through a vein in your arm or through an injection. Oral forms of these medications are available, but they generally aren't as effective as the IV or injectable forms, and may cause digestive tract side effects.

  Bone-building medications can cause temporary bone pain and kidney problems. They increase your risk of a rare but serious deterioration of your jawbone (osteonecrosis).

• Intravenous radiation. For people with multiple bone metastases, a form of radiation called radiopharmaceuticals can be given through a vein. Radiopharmaceuticals use low levels of a radioactive material that has a strong attraction to bones. Once in your body, the particles travel to the areas of bone metastasis and release their radiation.

  Radiopharmaceuticals can help control pain caused by bone metastasis. Side effects can include damage to the bone marrow, which can lead to low blood cell counts.

• Chemotherapy. If cancer has spread to multiple bones, your doctor may recommend chemotherapy. Chemotherapy travels throughout your body to fight cancer cells. Chemotherapy can be taken as a pill, administered through a vein or both. Side effects depend on the specific chemotherapy drugs you're given. For cancers that are sensitive to chemotherapy, chemotherapy may be the best way to alleviate pain from bone metastases.

• Hormone therapy. For cancers that are sensitive to hormones in the body, treatment to suppress those hormones may be an option. Breast cancers and prostate cancers are often sensitive to hormone-blocking treatments.

  Hormone therapy can involve taking medications to lower natural hormone levels or medications that block the interaction between hormones and cancer cells. Another option is surgery to remove hormone-producing organs — the ovaries and the testes.

• Pain medications. Pain medications may control the pain caused by bone metastasis. Pain medications may include over-the-counter pain relievers or stronger prescription pain relievers.

  It may take time to determine what combination of pain medications works best for you. If you're taking medications but still experiencing pain, tell your doctor. A pain specialist may be able to offer additional pain-relieving options.

• Steroids. Medications known as steroids can often help to relieve pain associated with bone metastases by decreasing swelling and inflammation around the sites of cancer. These steroids are different from the types of steroids that bodybuilders or athletes use to build muscle.

  Steroids can work quite quickly to help pain and prevent some cancer complications, but they also must be used very cautiously because they have side effects, especially when used for prolonged periods.

• Targeted therapy. Targeted drug treatments focus on specific abnormalities present within cancer cells. By blocking these abnormalities, targeted drug treatments can cause cancer cells to die.

  Certain cancers may respond very well to these treatments. For example, breast cancer cells that are HER2 positive can respond to certain medications.