QUANTITATIVE BONE-SCINTIGRAPHY IN PROSTATIC-CARCINOMA - LONG-TERM RESPONSE TO TREATMENT

Quantitative bone scintigraphy was performed in 24 patients with prost atic carcinoma before orchiectomy and up to one to four years after op eration. The gamma camera count rate was recorded over the lower thora cic and all lumbar vertebrae 4 h after injection of Tc-99m-MDP. Twelve patients had normal bone scintigrams throughout the study. They showe d from two years after operation a slight increase in count rate value s compared with the preoperative values, probably due to hormonal chan ges after orchiectomy and to age-related alterations in skeletal metab olism. Twelve patients had abnormal bone scintigrams. They showed as a response to treatment the flare phenomenon with an increase in count rate over the abnormal vertebrae when measured two weeks after operati on followed by a decrease after two months. The lowest count rate valu es were obtained between six months and one year after operation. Ther eafter the count rate seemed to remain on the same level. An increase in count rate was connected to progression of disease and the patients died of prostatic carcinoma within one year thereafter.