The role of plain radiographs in management of bone metastases.
Approximately 50% of patients with cancer will develop skeletal metastases, which often lead to significant pain. When a patient complains of pain, a bone scan and/or plain x-rays are ordered as investigations. X-rays necessitate a 1-cm diameter mass and 50% bone mineral loss at minimum for detection. Up to 40% of lesions will be unidentified by x-rays, presenting false-negative results. Computed tomography (CT) scans can recognize a bony metastatic lesion up to 6 months earlier than an x-ray. However, plain x-rays can also lead to rare false-positive results. We present a case with a false-positive result in a patient with lung cancer.
Salvo
Nadia
N
Department of Radiation Oncology, Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Christakis
Monique
M
Rubenstein
Joel
J
de Sa
Eric
E
Napolskikh
Julie
J
Sinclair
Emily
E
Ford
Michael
M
Goh
Philiz
P
Chow
Edward
E
D000368:Aged; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000556:secondary*; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D006801:Humans; D008067:Lipoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed