Metastatic disease is a major cause of pain and decreased quality of life in patients with cancer. Autopsy studies have shown that up to 85% of patients who die from breast, prostate or lung cancer have histological evidence of bone metastases at the time of death. In Europe, the number of new cases of bone metastases per year is approximately 1 in 100,000. Worsening of patients’ quality of life is due to associated symptoms such as intractable pain, pathological fractures, spinal cord compression, hypercalcemia and reduction of movement and performance status.