title: Role of bone scans in the initial assessment of operable patients with breast carcinoma.
abstract: The yield and the prognostic significance of initially performed bone scintigraphy in 387 patients with operable mammary carcinoma are reported. The mean follow-up time was 52 months. In 12 patients (3.1%) the scintigraphy was considered to indicate bone metastases but in only 3 of these bone metastases later developed. The low information obtained has resulted in exclusion of bone scintigraphy in the initial assessment of clinically operable patients with mammary carcinoma.
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*; D004164:Diphosphonates; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011122:Polyphosphates; D011379:Prognosis; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013667:Technetium; D017556:Technetium Compounds
chemical_list: D004164:Diphosphonates; D011122:Polyphosphates; D017556:Technetium Compounds; C009835:technetium Tc 99m polyphosphate; D013667:Technetium; C029045:technetium Tc 99m diphosphonate