I've heard different things. what exactly is bone metastases?

Bone mets: Bone metastases is spreading cancer to the bone-from a primary cancer that is located outside the bone. Cancers like breast ca, lung cancer, prostate cancer, thyroid cancer , kidney cancer spread to the bone commonly.

Bone cancer: When a cancer spreads to a bone or many bones, it is called bone metastasis. For example a lung cancer or breast cancer that has spread to the bones of your spine. Usually the cancer cells escape the original site by entering the bloodstream and are then deposited into the bones.

Like termites,: Abnormal cells destroy bone integrity after traveling from the cancer by the blood stream to a new place. When they grow, they can cause bones to collapse, leading to pain and fracture, or expand causing pain. In many tumors, this is characteristic (prostate, myeloma), treatment can be chemical, radiotherapy, and surgery.