ACR appropriateness criteria on metastatic bone disease

J Am Coll Radiol. 2010 Jun;7(6):400-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jacr.2010.02.015.

Abstract

Appropriate imaging modalities for screening, staging, and surveillance of patients with suspected and documented metastatic disease to bone include (99m)Tc bone scanning, MRI, CT, radiography, and 2-[(18)F]fluoro-2-deoxyglucose-PET. Clinical scenarios reviewed include asymptomatic stage 1 breast carcinoma, symptomatic stage 2 breast carcinoma, abnormal bone scan results with breast carcinoma, pathologic fracture with known metastatic breast carcinoma, asymptomatic well-differentiated and poorly differentiated prostate carcinoma, vertebral fracture with history of malignancy, non-small-cell lung carcinoma staging, symptomatic multiple myeloma, osteosarcoma staging and surveillance, and suspected bone metastasis in a pregnant patient. No single imaging modality is consistently best for the assessment of metastatic bone disease across all tumor types and clinical situations. In some cases, no imaging is indicated. The recommendations contained herein are the result of evidence-based consensus by the ACR Appropriateness Criteria((R)) Expert Panel on Musculoskeletal Radiology.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Bone Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Bone Neoplasms / secondary*
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Diagnostic Imaging / standards*
  • Evidence-Based Medicine / standards
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Practice Guidelines as Topic*
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic / diagnosis
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / pathology
  • United States