Role of bone scans in the initial assessment of operable patients with breast carcinoma

The yield and the prognostic significance of initially performed bone scintigraphy in 387 patients with operable mammary carcinoma are reported. The mean follow-up time was 52 months. In 12 patients (3.1%) the scintigraphy was considered to indicate bone metastases but in only 3 of these bone metastases later developed. The low information obtained has resulted in exclusion of bone scintigraphy in the initial assessment of clinically operable patients with mammary carcinoma.