Staging breast cancer: role of bone scanning.

Abstract

BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL 3 SEPTEMBER 1977 603 metoprolol, however, a dissociation between its lipolytic and cardiac actions was noted. These results indicate therefore differences in the metabolic effects of metoprolol, acebutolol, and propranolol but give no insight into the mechanisms concerned.Attempts to reduce blood lipid levels in patients with hyperlipaemia with beta-adrenoceptor antagonists have yielded inconsistent results."3'3 Carruthers and Taggart'5 have shown, however, that oxprenolol suppresses the rise in free fatty acid concentrations that occurs in response to stress. Prolonged treatment with beta-adrenoceptor antagonists might therefore serve to control lipid metabolism and minimise its atherogenic potential. To investigate this would require long-term studies and, as yet, none have been performed. The findings of this study therefore suggest that, should such a trial be undertaken, acebutolol and propranolol may show a greater therapeutic effect than metoprolol. Journal, 1977, 2, 603-605 Summary Bone scans using technetium-99m phosphate complexes and a rectilinear scanner were carried out on 192 women with primary operable breast cancer four to six weeks after operation. The lymph node status of all these patients was assessed histologically from triple node biopsy specimens. Only nine patients had positive scans, although 94 patients had histological evidence that the tumour had already spread beyond the confines of the breast.Bone scanning, although accurate as a prognostic guide, is helpful only in a very few cases, and serves mainly to confirm prognostic information obtained more simply and less expensively by histological examination of lymph node biopsy specimens.

Survey of 1725 Bone Scans in Patients with Malignant Disease with Particular Emphasis on Carcinoma of the Breast

“…It can be seen that the percentage of abnormal (single and multiple lesions) scans in the common malignancies such as carcinoma of the breast, lung or prostate is above 50% and therefore bone scanning is an important element in the management of these malignant diseases. In carcinoma of the breast, there are wide differences in the reported incidences of positive bone scan (1,2,4,7,8,14,18). Tofe et al (18) reported that in 28% of positive bone scans the primary was carcinoma of the breast.…”

Is Baseline Bone Imaging in High-Risk Breast Cancer Patients Justified?

“…Few studies designed to diagnose potentially treatable BOM at presentation have provided the positive yield of initial BI in BCa patients with more than three involved nodes. The reported frequencies of BOM have been between 9% and 16% [the larger percentage reflecting the small number of evaluated cases] (4,7).…”

Results of iliac crest biopsies taken from 1465 patients with primary breast cancer

“…The histological examination of the skeletal system delivers important information despite the development of sensitive non-invasive imaging procedures. Results from earlier studies are controversial because dierent techniques were used to extract marrow and because selection criteria varied (Davies et al 1977;Diel et al 1992b;Shinozaki et al 1992;Landys and Stenram 1975). In contrast, bone biopsy is almost established in other ®elds such as hematology, endocrinology and osteology (Beckstead 1986;Burkhardt et al 1985;Landys 1982;Manegold et al 1986).…”