The role of radionuclide bone-scanning in determining the resectability of soft-tissue sarcomas

In sixty patients with soft-tissue sarcoma, radionuclide bone scans were 92 per cent accurate in evaluating the presence or absence of involvement of contiguous bone by the tumor itself, by the tumor's reactive pseudocapsule, or by tissue contaminated during inadequate excision. The scans were most helpful when the relationship of the tumor to the bone was crucial in determining the resectability of the tumor. Meticulous imaging technique is essential to a complete and accurate radionuclide study. High-resolution, high-count gamma-camera scans in multiple projections are required for precise localization of tumor.