The role of bone and liver scans in surveying patients with breast cancer for metastatic disease.

The objective of this study is to correlate the presence of bone and liver metastases in patients with breast cancer with respect to the results of bone and liver scans, axillary nodal status, and serum alkaline phosphatase levels. One hundred ninety-seven patients with breast cancer treated by modified radical mastectomy between the years 1978 and 1981 were studied. Fifty-nine (30%) of the total group had distant metastases during the course of observation of 60 to 96 months; of 35 patients in whom bone metastases developed, 30 had normal preoperative bone scan results. Of 21 patients who had liver metastases, 19 had normal preoperative liver scans. Nineteen (70%) of the 27 patients with abnormal bone scans had normal alkaline phosphatase levels. Seven (63%) of the 11 patients who had abnormal liver scans had a normal alkaline phosphatase. The study supports the concept that preoperative bone and liver scans are ineffective indicators of metastatic involvement. Selection of patients for screening by bone and liver scans according to alkaline phosphatase determinations was not supported by this study. The appropriate use of bone scans for screening in patients with breast carcinoma is suggested as a follow-up device in patients with positive lymph nodes.