Nucl Med Mol Imaging.  2022 Apr;56(2):96-101. 10.1007/s13139-021-00735-1.

A Bone Scan Is Valuable for Primary Staging of Newly Diagnosed Prostate Cancer in a Low-Resource Setting (Nigeria)

• Orunmuyi A
• Adebayo S
• Ilesanmi O
• Takure A
• Olapade-Olaopa E

• KMID: 2528460
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1007/s13139-021-00735-1

Abstract

Objective
There is a paucity of information on bone scanning for prostate cancer from low-resource countries. This study evaluated the role of bone scan in the primary staging of newly diagnosed prostate cancer in one such setting.
Methods
A retrospective analysis of 126 men with newly diagnosed prostate cancer undergoing an initial staging bone scan between January 2017 and December 2020 was carried out at a regional nuclear medicine center in Nigeria. Bone scan results were analyzed according to age, serum level of baseline prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and Gleason score. Equivocal scans and patients with no Gleason score or baseline PSA were excluded from the analysis. p < 0.05 was said to be significant statistically.
Results
Of 111 patients (aged 38–84 years, median 66 years), who met the inclusion criteria, 26 (23%) men had evidence of bony metastases as shown by a positive bone scan. Higher PSA levels and Gleason scores were associated with an increased risk of a positive bone scan, p < 0.001. No patient with a PSA level < 20 ng/mL and a Gleason score of < 7 had a positive bone scan.
Conclusion
The role of bone scanning in staging newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients in Nigeria is consistent with global reports. Our study confirms that a bone scan finding is well associated with the risk classification using PSA and Gleason score in our population.

Keyword

Prostate cancer; Metastasis; Bone scan; PSA; Gleason score