title: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma: value of bone and liver scintigraphy in the pre-treatment and follow-up period.
abstract: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a disease with a high potential of distant metastasis, especially to bone and liver. To evaluate the routine use of bone and liver scintigraphy in the evaluation of metastatic disease during the pre-treatment and follow-up period, 112 new cases of NPC were enrolled. The pre-treatment scintigraphs were performed at the time of staging evaluation, while the follow-up ones were performed once a year and whenever clinically indicated. At the pre-treatment period, 3/112 cases showed a true positive result, all at bony sites. At the 3 years follow-up, 10/83 and 8/83 cases respectively showed a true positive result in the bone and liver. All of the positive cases had definite symptoms and signs of metastases, which correlated well with the scintigraphic findings. All without clinical evidence showed a negative finding. Therefore, we conclude that, without clinical indication, routine bone and liver scintigraphy are of limited value.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kraiphibul
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Atichartakarn
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Clongsusuek
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kulapaditharom
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ratanatharathorn
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chokewattanaskul
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000359:Aftercare; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology