title: Evaluation by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry of changed bone density in metastatic bone sites as a consequence of systemic treatment.
abstract: Fourteen cancer patients with bone metastases from various primary malignancies were submitted to repeated dual X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan before and after systemic antineoplastic treatments. In the nine patients with lytic lesions the Bone Mineral Density (BMD) increased after chemotherapy + pamidronate in four (by +11.2%, +7.5%, +5.0% and +6.6%, respectively), decreased in four (by -19.9%, -8.1%, -7.5%, and -7.0%, respectively) and remained unchanged in one. BMD changes paralleled variations in painful symptomatology and biochemical markers. In patients with blastic metastases the BMD on target metastatic lesions did not change after hormone therapy or chemotherapy in one case but showed a significant increase in four. BMD increase was associated to bone pain improvement and PSA decrease in two cases, and with a worsening in skeletal pain and/or serum PSA in the remaining two. Our data suggest that BMD evaluation by DEXA instrument may be a reliable tool in assessing the response of bone metastases to treatment.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche e Biologiche, Medicina Interna, Oncologia Medica Universita di Torino, Azienda Ospedaliera San Luigi, Orbassano, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berruti
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dogliotti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Osella
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cerutti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Reimondo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martino
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gorzegno
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Catolla
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Angeli
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000556:secondary*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D004164:Diphosphonates / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain; D000077268:Pamidronate; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004164:Diphosphonates; D000077268:Pamidronate