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What Does My Lab Test Report Indicate?
Question: I had a bone scan to begin the staging of breast cancer. I am 7 years post op for a left breast mastectomy Stage 1 triple negative. I have recently been diagnosed with right breast cancer small 1cm. tumor also suspected to be triple negative. The bone scan showed a "hot spot" in the right humerus, but this spot was also there in 2008 when I had the original bone scan for left breast cancer. I had a shoulder xray today and it showed shadowing within the humerus. Does this sound like a bone metasisis in the right humerus? I have no pain, no diminished ROM, no signs or symptoms that originally accompany bone cancer.I am 66 yo and just wondering if this could be degenerative disease
Brief Answer:
Bone scan findings can be false positive, requires close follow up
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX,
Thanks for writing in to us.
I have read through your query in details below.
Please find my observations below.
1. I acknowledge the fact that bone scan frequently picks out false positive hot spots in cancer patients and this is a concern. I have worked in a cancer facility and have come across patients who have your concern. To confirm if it is a possible degenerative chance, it is important to see the X ray taken in 2008 and the latest X ray and match it with the bone scan findings.
2. There are a lot of variations in various researches done on the topic of evaluating bone metastatsis with bone scan. The sensitivity of this procedure is said to be in the range of 33 percent to 100 percent with most studies showing a sensitivity of about 77 percent. Therefore it is possible that the hot spot in the humerus is a benign condition.
3. Since you have a history of cancer and this bone lesion was visible on an earlier scan, it is important to match old and new images and then take a collective decision with an option of doing higher investigations like PET CT scan if recommended.
Hope this answers your question. Please feel free to correct any oversight in my interpretation of your problems and discuss them in detail as per your requirements.
Hope your query is answered.
Do write back if you have any doubts.
Regards,
Dr.Vivek
Bone scan findings can be false positive, requires close follow up
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX,
Thanks for writing in to us.
I have read through your query in details below.
Please find my observations below.
1. I acknowledge the fact that bone scan frequently picks out false positive hot spots in cancer patients and this is a concern. I have worked in a cancer facility and have come across patients who have your concern. To confirm if it is a possible degenerative chance, it is important to see the X ray taken in 2008 and the latest X ray and match it with the bone scan findings.
2. There are a lot of variations in various researches done on the topic of evaluating bone metastatsis with bone scan. The sensitivity of this procedure is said to be in the range of 33 percent to 100 percent with most studies showing a sensitivity of about 77 percent. Therefore it is possible that the hot spot in the humerus is a benign condition.
3. Since you have a history of cancer and this bone lesion was visible on an earlier scan, it is important to match old and new images and then take a collective decision with an option of doing higher investigations like PET CT scan if recommended.
Hope this answers your question. Please feel free to correct any oversight in my interpretation of your problems and discuss them in detail as per your requirements.
Hope your query is answered.
Do write back if you have any doubts.
Regards,
Dr.Vivek
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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