[Status of skeletal scintigraphy, lung roentgen image and liver sonography in the follow-up of breast cancer].

555 female patients were examined at the Bad Trissl Clinic in a prospective study in 1987 as follow-up of mammary carcinoma. The initial criterion was a postoperative carcinoma of the breast, without proof to date of metastases in the skeletal structure. A detailed pain anamnesis was recorded by means of prepared questions and a thorough clinical examination was performed for locating any skeletal pain. This was followed by a total body skeletal scintigram, supplemental x-ray films, tumour markers CA-15-3 and CEA as well as additional examinations, whenever necessary. It was found, that clinical disease patterns and imaging methods agreed in 489 patients. Clinical findings pointing to the possibility of metastases, or doubtful findings, were disproved by scintigraphy and x-ray. Osseous metastases would have been overlooked without skeletal scintigraphy in 13 cases only (2.34%). 11 of the 13 patients were classified as high risks (receptor negative, axillary lymph node metastases). Hence, it is enough to employ skeletal scintigraphy in carcinoma of the breast aftercare only in risk-adapted form, provided it is preceded by detailed pain analysis and clinical examination. Metastasising in the skeletal structure can be overlooked in only 2 out of 555 patients (0.36%). On the other hand, early recognition of metastases of the lungs or of the liver by anamnesis and clinical examination only, is impossible, as a review of recent literature has shown. If there are clinical indications for a metastasizing process in the lungs or in the liver, these are usually late signs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)