Relation between pain and skeletal metastasis in patients with prostate or breast cancer.
The aim of this study was to examine the relation between pain and bone metastases in a group of patients with prostate or breast cancer that had been referred for bone scintigraphy. Whole-body bone scans, anterior and posterior views obtained with a dual detector gamma camera were studied from 101 consecutive patients who had undergone scintigraphy (600 MBq Tc-99m MDP) because of suspected bone metastatic disease. At the time of the examination, all patients were asked whether they felt any pain or had recently a trauma. This information was correlated with the classifications regarding the presence or absence of bone metastases made by a group of three experienced physicians. In patients with prostate cancer, we found metastases in 47% (18/38) of the patients with pain, but only in 12% (2/17) of the patients without pain (p = 0.01). In patients with breast cancer, on the other hand, metastases were more common in patients without pain (71%; 10/14) than in patients with pain (34%; 11/32) (p = 0.02). In conclusion, a significant relation between pain and skeletal metastases could be found in patients with prostate cancer and a reverse relation in patients with breast cancer.
Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Clinical Physiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
Gabriella
G
Levren
May
M
Sadik
Peter
P
Gjertsson
Milan
M
Lomsky
Annika
A
Michanek
Lars
L
Edenbrandt
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden; D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate