title: Reappraisal of the baseline bone scan in breast cancer.
abstract: Baseline staging bone scans in 1,267 consecutive women with breast cancer attending a single clinic between 1980 and 1986 were reviewed. 0.3% of patients with T1, 3% with T2, 8% with T3, 13% with T4 tumors and none of those with Stage 1, 3% with Stage 2, 7% with Stage 3, and 47% with Stage 4 disease had a positive scan due to bone metastases. Two hundred eight-nine (23%) had bone scan abnormalities secondary to radiologically confirmed benign bone disease. In 20 patients, no cause for a bone scan abnormality could be found after a median follow-up of 3.50 yr, a false-positive frequency of 1.6%. The false-negative rate was 0.08%. It is concluded that patients with tumors less than 2 cm are most unlikely to have a positive scan. In this instance, scans are not required routinely. However, we recommend a baseline scan in all patients with Stage 2, 3, or 4 disease.
authors: ICRF Clinical Oncology Unit, Guy's Hospital, London, England.
authors: R E
authors: RE
authors: Coleman
authors: R D
authors: RD
authors: Rubens
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Fogelman
mesh_terms: D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate
chemical_list: D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate