Best Scan to Show Bone Mets

CatherineS

I searched for this answer before I posted this and had no luck.  In your experience and in what you have learned from others, which is the best/most sensitive scan that would reveal bone mets?  Bone scan, CT, MRI or PET?

 Thank you. 

rkt

Dear Catherine,

I was diagnosed with extensive bone mets at my original  BC diagnosis.  Had bone scan, pet scan, CT of abdomen, and Chest X-ray.  Bone scan showed lots of damage not only from cancer, but also arthritis (not sure how they tell the difference).  They could also see the bone mets in my spine on the abdomen CT, and chest X-ray.  PET Scan also showed them.  I didn't have MRI until about 9 months after my initial diagnosis, then for numbness issues in my upper back - MRI report said healed lesions - so I am thinking that MRI would also show cancer.  From a tolerance standpoint - the bone scans are easiest for me to tolerate ( I now get one every time I go back to see oncologist - right now 5 month intervals) - they inject me, I come back two hours later, after drinking fluids, they scan me.  PET Scan prep was pain - MRI machine gave me the willies - I guess I am claustrophic. 

Hope this heps,

Becky

Krystyna

PET scan found my spine metastasis. I had a bone scan done in January 2009 and it was clean..Now I had CT and PET scan and PET did show my metastasis.

All the best.

Krystyna

NoSunshine

I had all of my scans (bone scan, PET, chest, abdomen CT's) about two weeks ago at MD Anderson and they found small spots on my ribs, spine, pelvis and sternum.  My doctor stated that the bone scan came up clean but the spots showed up on the PET scan....so I'm thinking the PET scan will show all areas that the other scans do not.  Hope this helps.

clemson93

For me, the PET scan was the most sensitive.  I had a bone scan and CT scan as my yearly follow-up.  The bone scan was "perfect" as my oncologist said.  The CT scan showed a tiny abnormality so a PET scan was ordered.  A met to my C-spine showed up on the PET scan.  From what I have read, tumors that eat bone show up better on PET scan and tumors that build weak bone show up better on bone scan.

Susan 

mthomp2020

Susan had the same experience as me regarding the bone scan.  I've never had a PET scan, just bone and CT scans every 3 months.  The sclerotic lesions (new bone formation) showed up, but the leitic lesions, where bone is eaten away, didn't show on the bone scan.  The bone scan doesn't really provide any detail nor size of the lesions, just pretty much that they're there.  Both showed on my CT scan - they saw more mets on my CT then on my bone scan.  The bone scan shows bone remodelling.  If you broke a bone and then scanned it while it was healing, it would show up because it's laying new bone down.  That's why it also shows arthritis, as cartilege gets replace by bone/calcium. 

imbell

I have had all except the MRI.  The x-ray, CT scan and Bone Scan show shadows.  The Pet Scan indicates whether the shadow has a life. Biopsy shows whether cells are cancerous and also characteristics, i.e, postive, negative, etc.