Pain and shattered bones can result from bone metastases. Cancer that has progressed to the bones, with a few exceptions, cannot be treated. Pain and other symptoms of bone metastases can be alleviated with treatment. Whether you have one bone damaged or many, there are options for pain relief. Cancer cells may enter the bones through natural openings such as the spine or pelvis, but most often they spread throughout the body via the blood. Metastasized cancer cells may develop into tumors on bone which then break down causing severe pain. Other effects include hypercalcemia (increased calcium in the blood) and osteoporosis (brittle bone disease). There is no cure for bone cancer. The only way to treat bone cancer is by removing the cancer cells with chemotherapy or radiation therapy before they can spread further. Both treatments come with risks. Chemotherapy can cause nerve damage, diarrhea, fatigue, loss of appetite, and infection. Radiation therapy can lead to skin burns, hair loss, damage to other organs due to excessive heat, or psychological trauma. In some cases, surgery may be all that is needed to relieve bone cancer pain. If the cancer has not yet spread to other parts of the body, it may be possible to remove some or all of the affected bone and replace it with artificial material. This allows more normal bone tissue to grow back instead of cancerous tissue.