Bone metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Bone metastasis was observed in 16.1% or in 14 of 87 male autopsy cases of hepatocellular carcinoma. The primary tumor within the liver was located in the right lobe in all but one case. There were six patients who first presented with signs attributable to bone metastasis, and lung metastasis subsequently became evident in five of them. These 6 patients lived significantly longer as compared with 8 other patients with bone metastases and 73 patients without. The possible route by which hepatocellular carcinoma cells were carried to the bone is discussed.