Metastatic spine cancer

my husband was recently diagnosed with metastatic spine cancer which was confirmed by PET scan and MRI. However, a bone scan which was done afterward shows 'no activity' in the area. What does this mean?

While bone scans will generally reveal metastatic tumors within the skeleton, they are, as will all imaging tests, not perfect. Tumors (and, especially, small tumors) can, indeed, be missed by CT, MRI, PET and bone scans. Ultimately, the only 100% accurate test for metastatic cancer is a biopsy.

I wish you and your husband well, and hope that his doctors will be able to treat his disease effectively.

Sincerely/ Robert A. Wascher, MD, FACS


As your Doctor diagnosed metastatic bone disease by MR and PET scan that itself is enough to start further treatment and regular followup with your treating doctor however as regards the bone scan the same may not be as accurate as that of MR and PET report though if the bone scan done after treatment and following PET scan the same may mean there is improvement with therapy that is instituted by your treating doctor.
Bone scan is not the only test on which the treatment be based upon.
thanks from Dr Chowhan

Tore deltoid and bicept , soft swelling

I tore my deltroid and bicept muscles about five months ago. I have had X-rays and ultra sounds of the areas and have been given exercises by the physio which I have done religiously every day. However I still have a soft swelling in my deltroid muscle and it is still painful. Would bone cancer show up in the x-rays and ultra sounds if there was a chance of that being the problem?



Thanks for using this forum....

Donot worry too much..muscle tear can result in a small swelling and yes cancxers can be detected on xray and ultrsound...dont worry you will be fine soon...

take care