[Bone scintigraphy in breast cancer: a ten-year follow up study]

The value of bone scanning in the primary staging and clinical course of breast cancer was studied in a 10-years follow-up. Bone metastases (BM) were detected at the time of primary diagnosis in 6.8% of the patients. After primary therapy, the skeleton was the first site of the relapse in 42% of the cases. During the follow-up, BM were revealed in 25% of 623 patients a mean of 22.3 months after the operation. BM were manifested in 17% of the cases with small primary (pT1) tumors and negative axillae. Forty-three percent of the patients had no symptoms at the time of BM diagnosis. The mean survival after the appearance of BM in 163 patients was 18.2 months. Thirteen patients survived more than 5 years after the diagnosis of BM. The routine use of bone scanning is suggested at the time of primary diagnosis, and then yearly in a minimum 5-years period, independently of the symptoms.