Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Osteodensitometry of vertebral metastases after radiotherapy using quantitative computed tomography

  • Articles
  • Published:
Skeletal Radiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Bone density has been assessed during and after radiotherapy of metastases of the spine using quantitative computed tomography (QCT) in 19 patients with osteolytic vertebral lesions. All patients underwent external photon radiation with a total dose of 40 Gy over a period of 4 weeks. Measurements of vertebral mineral density were performed at the beginning, at the end, and 3 months after radiotherapy. In 13 patients with osteolytic metastases, radiotherapy achieved complete release of pain; it was unsuccessful in the remaining 6 patients. Immediately after successful radiotherapy, osteolytic metastases showed a decrease of bone density of 24.7% followed by an increase of 60.6% 3 months later. Normal bone surrounding the osteolysis showed an increase of density at the end and 3 months after radiotherapy. QCT has proved to be a helpful tool in assessing successful radiotherapy of metastases of the spine.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bessler W, Weber S (1977) Die Strahlenbehandlung von Knochenmetastasen bei Mammacarcinom. Schweiz Rundsch Med Prax 66:140

    Google Scholar 

  2. Bostel F, Kuhne-Velte HJ, Wöllgens P (1983) Wertigkeit der Strahlentherapie bei metastasen des hypernephroiden Larzinoms. Strahlentherapie 159:404

    Google Scholar 

  3. Buck AC, Chrisholm GD, Merrick MV, Lavender JP (1975) Serial fluorine-18 bone scans in the follow-up of carcinoma of the prostate. Br J Urol 47:287

    Google Scholar 

  4. Cann CE, Genant HK (1980) Precise measurement of vertebral mineral content using computed tomography. J Comput Assist Tomogr 4:493

    Google Scholar 

  5. Citrin DL, Hongen C, Zweibel W, Schlise S, Pruitt B, Ershler W, Dawis TE, Harberg J, Cohen AJ (1981) The use of serial bone scans in assessing response of bone metastases to systemic treatment. Cancer 47:680

    Google Scholar 

  6. Delclos L, Johnson GC (1964) Palliative irradiation in breast cancer. Radiology 83:272

    Google Scholar 

  7. Edelstyn GA, Gillespie PJ, Grebbell FS (1967) The radiological demonstration of osseous metastases: Experimental observations. Clin Radiol 18:158

    Google Scholar 

  8. Fitzpatrick JM, Constable AR Sherwood T, Stephenson JJ, Chrisholm GD, O'Donoghue EPN (1978) Serial bone scanning: The assessment of treatment response in carcinoma of the prostate. Br J Urol 50:555

    Google Scholar 

  9. Garmatis GJ, Chu FCH (1978) The effectiveness of radiation therapy in the treatment of bone metastases from breast cancer. Radiology 126:235

    Google Scholar 

  10. Genant HK, Cann CE, Ettinger B, Gordan GS, Kolb FO, Reiser UJ, Arnaud CD (1985) Quantitative computed tomography for spinal mineral assessment: Current status. J Comput Assist Tomogr 9:602

    Google Scholar 

  11. Gilbert RW, Kim JH, Posner JB (1978) Epidural spinal cord compression from metastatic tumor: Diagnosis and treatment. Ann Neurol 3:40

    Google Scholar 

  12. Heilmann HP (1975) Strahlentherapie metastasierender Tumoren. Röntgenblätter 28:160

    Google Scholar 

  13. Hermann HJ, Kimmig B, Kober B, Bubeck B (1983) Radiologische Diagnostik von Knochenmetastasen. Röntgenblätter 36:203

    Google Scholar 

  14. Heuck F (1978) Röntgen-Morphologie der sekundären, metastatischen Knochentumoren. Radiologie 18:287

    Google Scholar 

  15. Hortobagyi GN, Libshitz HJ, Seabold JE (1984) Osseous metastases of breast cancer. Clinical, biochemical, radiographic and scintigraphic evaluation of response to therapy. Cancer 53:577

    Google Scholar 

  16. Kagan AR, Steckel RJ (1986) Radiologic contributions to cancer management. Bone metastases. AJR 147:305

    Google Scholar 

  17. Lipshitz HJ, Hortobagyi GN (1981) Radiographic evaluation of therapeutic response in bony metastases of breast cancer. Skeletal Radiol 7:159

    Google Scholar 

  18. McNeil BJ (1978) Rationale for the use of bone scans in skeletal metastatic and primary bone tumors. Semin Nucl Med 8:336

    Google Scholar 

  19. Redmond J, Spring DB, Munderloh SH, George CB, Mansour RP, Volk SA (1984) Spinal computed tomography scanning in the evaluation of metastatic disease. Cancer 54:253

    Google Scholar 

  20. Reinbold WD, Genant HK, Reiser UJ, Harris ST, Ettinger B (1986) Bone mineral content in early postmenopausal and postmenopausal osteoporotic women: Comparison of measurement methods. Radiology 160:469

    Google Scholar 

  21. Rhomberg W (1983) Zur Klinik und Strahlensensibilität von Knochenmetastasen bei Nierenkarzinomen. Strahlentherapie 159:610

    Google Scholar 

  22. Richardson ML, Genant HK, Cann CE, Ettinger B, Gordan GS, Kolb FO, Reiser UJ (1985) Assessment of metabolic bone disease by quantitative computed tomography. Clin Orthop 195:224

    Google Scholar 

  23. Suit HD (1973) Radiation biology: A basis for radiotherapy. In: Fletcher GH (ed) Textbook of radiotherapy. Lea and Febiger, Philadelphia, p 75

    Google Scholar 

  24. Trodella L, Ausili-Cefaro G, Turriziani A, Marmiroli L, Cellini N, Nardone L (1984) Pain in osseous metastases: Results of radiotherapy. Pain 18:387

    Google Scholar 

  25. Wannemacher M, Hinkelbein W (1980) Bestrahlung der fortgeschrittenen Karzinome inkl. Metastasenbestrahlung. In: Handbuch Medizinische Radiologie XIXI2. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, p 24.1

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany

    Wolf-Dieter Reinbold M.D.

  2. Department of Radiotherapy, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany

    Michael Wannenmacher M.D. & Norbert Hodapp Ph.D.

  3. Department of Pathology (Reference Center of Bone Pathology), University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany

    Claus-Peter Adler M.D.

Authors
  1. Wolf-Dieter Reinbold M.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Michael Wannenmacher M.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Norbert Hodapp Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Claus-Peter Adler M.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Reinbold, WD., Wannenmacher, M., Hodapp, N. et al. Osteodensitometry of vertebral metastases after radiotherapy using quantitative computed tomography. Skeletal Radiol 18, 517–521 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00351751

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00351751

Key words

Search

Navigation