The skeleton is an active organ that rebuilds constantly. A healthy skeleton with strong bones is essential to maintain overall health and quality of life. Bones protect our brain, heart and lungs from injury; they are the framework for muscles that allows us to move and store minerals important to their remodeling and strength.
Bone disease is a condition that damages the skeleton and makes the bones weak and prone to fractures. It is a real risk for women and men of all ethnicities at any age.
A bone scan is a nuclear imaging test that helps to diagnose damage to the bones, monitor problems such as infection and trauma, and locate cancer that has spread to the bones from a primary tumor elsewhere in the body such as breast, prostate, lung or kidney.
Bone Cancer
Bone cancer is relatively rare, accounting for 0.2% of all cancers.1 It can originate in the bone tissue as primary bone cancer, which can be either benign or malignant. More frequently, however, cancer from other parts of the body can metastasize and spread to the bones.2
The most common types of bone cancer are:2
- Osteosarcoma – Arises from the hard part of the bone (osteoid) and occurs most often in the knee and upper arm
- Chondrosarcoma – Begins in bone cartilage and occurs most often in the pelvis, upper leg, and shoulder
- Ewing Sarcoma – Includes several types of tumors that usually occur in bone but may also arise in soft tissue; most commonly occur along the backbone and pelvis and in the legs and arms
Physicians may perform nuclear imaging tests that provide a view of the entire skeleton to diagnose and monitor bone cancer. These tests can also help physicians detect cancer that has spread from other sites in the body.
Maintaining the Value of Nuclear Medicine in Cancer Diagnosis
Jubilant DraxImage is committed to ensuring continuous availability of radiopharmaceuticals to help healthcare professionals realize the full value of bone imaging to guide patient care.
Clinical Resources
The following resource is available for healthcare professionals who diagnose and treat patients with bone cancer:
DISCLAIMER:
This information is not intended as medical advice. Responsibility for patient care resides with the healthcare professional on the basis of his or her professional license, experience and knowledge of the patient. For full Prescribing Information including indications, contraindications, warnings, precautions and adverse events, please see the appropriate product labeling.