Skeletal metastases in pancreatic carcinoma: study by isotopic bone scanning

A review of the literature of 2,155 reported patients with primary carcinoma of the pancreas, revealed 110 cases or 5% to have skeletal metastasis by radiographic or autopsy study. A study conducted over a 2 year period disclosed that 1 case of skeletal metastasis was detected by bone scanning in 16 patients with pancreatic carcinoma. This indicates a minimum skeletal metastasis rate of 6%. We feel these percentages are low and can be further defined by the more routine employment of the bone scan to evaluate patients with carcinoma of the pancreas. The true figure may be much higher, perhaps as high as 20%.