title: Bone scanning: its lack of value in the follow-up of patients with breast cancer.
abstract: Three hundred and fifty-four women with primary operable breast cancer had a bone scan performed within 6 weeks of a simple mastectomy. Eight (2.3 per cent) were positive, but 7 of these patients had radiological evidence of bony metastases. Follow-up bone scans 1 year postoperatively on 278 patients showed only 12 (4.3 per cent) positive, and of these, 9 had other radiological evidence of metastatic disease. At 2 years postoperatively there were 13 (9.2 per cent) positive bone scans amongst 141 patients. Only 2 of these 13 had no other evidence of metastases. Although a bone scan is a useful investigation in patients with bone pain, there is no place for routine bone scanning in either the staging or follow-up of women with operable breast cancer.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008408:Mastectomy; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging