Radiotherapy for breast cancer induced long-term diminished accumulation of radiotracer on bone scan of the irradiated ribs
Abstract
Radiotherapy may result in long term effects and composition alterations in bones. Bone scintigraphy after radiotherapy may demonstrate decreased skeletal uptake; however, this is a transient effect with bone scan normalized after a few years. We describe a case of a 31-year-old female patient treated for left breast cancer with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, exhibiting reduced and diffuse diphosphonate uptake in the heavily irradiated sections of left ribs, even twelve years post-treatment. Similarly, quantitative computed tomography indicated altered bone composition. To our knowledge this is the first case describing such a long radiation side effect in breast cancer treatment.
Keywords: Radiation therapybreast cancerbone scanradiological imagingcomputer tomographywhole body BMD
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