Bone Scan

ShazS

Hi All, Can anyone help with what and why do they do a Bone Scan got a call have to get one Monday. Thanks Shazx

nonkyboy

Hi @ShazS I had a bone scan prior to my surgery . My surgeon said it is used as a Cancer marker for down the track to check for any changes. It also shows if there is any cancer anywhere else in your body now . My bone scan included every inch of my body including my feet and toes. Takes a few hours but is basically painless. Just an initial needle in the morning. Good luck with it . If you’re claustrophobic you may want to organise a Valium or similar prior to having the scan. Xx Lesley 

primek

Standard base line for most surgeons to assist with staging. Most people have a CT scan also. 

A bone scan is pretty much like a CT scan when it's done just a different machine. It looks for hot spots on your skeleton. 

It is different from a bone density scan which looks for osteoporosis.  

ShazS

Thanks ladies they said I will be injected with a tracer not sure what means either

ShazS

That sorry 

Afraser

I had a bone scan just after surgery (was supposed to be before but there was a muck up in the times). Had an injection to help trace any "hot" or suspicious sites in the body. Painless but took some time.

HIT

Hi ShazS yes all standard tests, the tracer is to help the machine pick up anything - like the contrast for CT scan - I had bone scan and CT scan done before treatment.  I think if I remember rightly the tracer is aluminium??  You got the the injection and could leave for a couple of hours.  You had to drink so much water in that time (I think 2 litres, but not sure) and you can have a wee - my first one they didn't tell me that!!  They actually said to go as much as needed.  Then back in for the scan.  You stay in your clothes but just need to make sure that there is no metal on them and take off excess jewellery.  Once again my memory is not good but I think I could still wear my wedding ring and sleepers.  I am very claustrophobic and didn't think I could stay still when it passed over my face so they knocked me out.  Had a nice rest.

Unicornkisses

@ShazS the tracer is the dye they inject in the canula in your arm, it makes you feel hot in the pelvis area as though you have wet yourself, and gives you a metallic taste in your mouth for a minute. They do it for most CT and bone scans and MRI, but not bone density scans.
There are various topics on here describing in detail what happens in the scan, check through the topics in recent discussions to see them.
I am very claustrophobic and have issues with my shoulders so having my arms above my head for the scan was a problem. Some ladies have had their arms by their sides, hopefully you will too.
I was heavily dosed on tranquillisers, but as you have to go away for a few hours between the first and second parts of the scan I had to top that up before the second part.
I envy you @HIT PRP here won't even give you sedatives, let alone knock you out!

In my case I was sent straight away for a bone scan and full body scan because my initial operation came back with cancer in one Sentinel Lymphnode, so they had to check if it had got out anywhere else before I started chemotherapy.
Thankfully nothing showed up, but it is interesting to read the report and see what else you have wrong with you.
Arthritis in the middle of my feet, bursitis and bone island in my hip, lung nodules, sinus changes, the list goes on. And to think I felt fairly healthy before my diagnosis!

The scan is tedious but not painful unless you have problems lying in the position you have to be for an extended length of time.

HIT

I am surprised they won't knock you out.  When I said that I couldn;t guarantee I wouldn't move when it was over my face they volunteered to knock me out - injection that had me asleep very quickly and awake not long after finished.  As they said if I bungle it, it is a very expensive process to re-do.

ShazS

Thanks Ladies for the heads up Shazx

adean

Yes l will be honest good old me lost it when it was near my face .my daughter thought it was the joke of the day! I wish they offered me a knock out.l still cannot believe l did that as lm pretty strong.lol