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Radiotherapy for breast cancer induced long-term diminished accumulation of radiotracer on bone scan of the irradiated ribs
Affiliations- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Medical School, University Hospital of Ioannina, Greece, Ioannina, Greece
- Department of Medical Physics, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
open access
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.
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 therapy; breast cancer; bone scan; radiological imaging; computer tomography; whole body BMD
About this articleTitle
Radiotherapy for breast cancer induced long-term diminished accumulation of radiotracer on bone scan of the irradiated ribs
Journal
Issue
Article type
Clinical vignette
Pages
85-87
Published online
2019-07-31
Page views
571
Article views/downloads
637
DOI
10.5603/NMR.2019.0020
Pubmed
Bibliographic record
Nucl. Med. Rev 2019;22(2):85-87.
Keywords
Radiation therapy
breast cancer
bone scan
radiological imaging
computer tomography
whole body BMD
Authors
Andreas Fotopoulos
Chrissa Sioka
Konstantinos Papadimitropoulos
Tzihad Al Boucharali
John Kalef Ezra
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