The value of a routine bone scan in a metastatic survey.

OBJECTIVE

Currently, there is no uniformly accepted metastatic work-up of the patient with head and neck cancer. Various protocols range from selected laboratory investigations and a chest x-ray to more extensive radiologic screening surveys. Although it is desirable to have as much information available as possible prior to making a decision of operability, one is confined by the cost of extensive investigations. This study was conducted to evaluate the benefit of routine bone scanning preoperatively in these patients.

METHOD

A retrospective study looked at a consecutive 172 patients undergoing a bone scan with respect to indication, diagnosis, scan result, and tumour stage.

RESULTS

Only three patients had a change in their management based on the bone scan results.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of bone metastases in the majority of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck do not warrant routine bone scans for investigation of metastases.