title: An assessment of bone scans for monitoring osseous metastases in patients being treated for prostate carcinoma.
abstract: The National Prostatic Cancer Project held a workshop in March 1980 to examine procedures used to evaluate bone metastases. Variations in techniques used by each of 9 treatment centers, as well as the National Cancer Institute, were compared. One center in particular had developed procedures for quantitating bone scans in addition to the customary qualitative evaluation. Changes in bone scan assessments were also related to changing levels of isoenzymes of acid and alkaline phosphatase. Most consistently correlated with disease changes were prostatic acid phosphatase, as determined by counter-immunoelectrophoresis, and the isoenzyme of bone alkaline phosphatase. Gamma cameras were recommended over rectilnear scanners as were multiple spot films to concentrate on problem areas. Bone scans must be performed prior to therapy and for best assessment no sooner than 3 months to avoid the flair phenomenon. Consistency of both machine settings and patient position are paramount, as are quality of equipment and review of past scans and X-ray films where appropriate to obtain the best assessment of disease status.
authors.affiliation: National Prostatic Cancer Project, Roswell Park Memorial Institute, 666 Elm Street, Buffalo, New York, 14263, USA.
authors.forename: N H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Slack
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Karr
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Murphy
mesh_terms: D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000556:secondary*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging