The Established Nuclear Medicine Modalities for Imaging of Bone Metastases

Abstract

Background: The skeleton is one of the frequent site of metastases in advanced cancer. Prostate, breast and renal cancers mostly metastasize to bone.

Discussion: Malignant tumors lead to significant morbidity and mortality. Identification of bone lesions is a crucial step in diagnosis of disease at early stage, monitoring of disease progression and evaluation of therapy. Diagnosis of cancer metastases is based on uptake of bone-targeted radioactive tracer at different bone remodeling sites.

Conclusion: This manuscript summarizes already established and evolving nuclear medicine modalities (e.g. bone scan, SPECT, SPECT/CT, PET, PET/CT) for imaging of bone metastases.

Keywords: Malignant tumors; bone lesion; cancer metastasis; diagnosis; morbidity; mortality; radioactive tracer.