Abstract
Purpose: To evaluate a simple method for quantification of focal activity in bone scintigraphy (BS).
Material and Methods: The gamma camera was calibrated using a phantom. Quantitative bone scintigraphy (QBS) was performed on 11 men recently diagnosed with prostate cancer (PCa), for whom routine BS showed involvement of the skeleton. Following endocrine therapy for 4 to 8 months, a second QBS was performed. Changes in QBS values were then compared to changes in serum levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA).
Results: PSA response indicating regression of PCa was accompanied by a decrease in the QBS value in 8 of the 11 patients. The overall mean error of the QBS values was 15%.
Conclusion: QBS according to this method is a relatively simple procedure that might contribute to objective evaluation of therapeutic effects in skeletal metastases, although its validity must be tested in a larger clinical material.
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