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World J Clin Oncol. May 24, 2026; 17(5): 114734
Published online May 24, 2026. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v17.i5.114734
Published online May 24, 2026. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v17.i5.114734
Letter to the Editor: Revisiting the anatomical pattern of bone metastases in stage IV breast cancer: Missing clinical stratification and biological depth
Pei-Zhi Zhang, Department of Urology, Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, School of Clinical Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 102218, China
Yan-Jie Wang, Departments of Ultrasound, Shandong Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital Affiliated to Qingdao University, Jinan 250014, Shandong Province, China
Ying-Kun Xu, Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong Province, China
Author contributions: Zhang PZ and Wang YJ contributed to drafting the manuscript; Xu YK contributed to revising the manuscript for important intellectual content; and all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Corresponding author: Ying-Kun Xu, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, No. 107 Wenhua West Road, Lixia District, Jinan 250012, Shandong Province, China. yingkunxu@hotmail.com
Received: September 27, 2025
Revised: December 1, 2025
Accepted: February 3, 2026
Published online: May 24, 2026
Processing time: 235 Days and 22.4 Hours
Revised: December 1, 2025
Accepted: February 3, 2026
Published online: May 24, 2026
Processing time: 235 Days and 22.4 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: This letter highlights several overlooked aspects in a recent study on bone metastases in breast cancer, including the absence of molecular subtype stratification, survival outcomes, and lesion-level anatomical detail. We argue that incorporating imaging approaches, clinical context, and biomarker profiles is essential to make such anatomical findings more clinically meaningful and translatable.