Why It Is Done A Reference bone scan Opens New Window is done
to: - Find bone cancer or determine whether cancer from another
area, such as the breast, lung, kidney, Reference thyroid gland
Opens New Window, or Reference prostate gland Opens New Window,
has spread (metastasized) to the bone. See a picture of a
Reference bone scan showing the spread of cancer Opens New
Window Reference Opens New Window. - Help diagnose the cause or
location of unexplained bone pain, such as ongoing low back
pain. A bone scan may be done first to help determine the
location of an abnormal bone in complex bone structures such as
the foot or spine. Follow-up evaluation then may be done with a
Reference computed tomography (CT) scan Opens New Window or
Reference magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) Opens New Window. -
Help diagnose broken bones, such as a hip fracture or a
Reference stress fracture Opens New Window, not clearly seen on
X-ray. - Find damage to the bones caused by infection or other
conditions, such as Reference Paget's