Use of bone scintigraphy in the evaluation of bone metastases of prostate cancer treated by a combination of LHRH and antiandrogen

Nuclear bone imaging was compared to clinical evaluation and prostatic acid phosphatase for detection of bone metastases from advanced carcinoma of the prostate in 85 patients before and after a combined treatment with an LHRH agonist and an antiandrogen. Initial bone scanning was positive in all patients while 45 percent were asymptomatic and 16 percent had a normal prostatic acid phosphatase. This technique was also very sensitive to document a treatment response and to detect relapse in those patients with no clinical complaints and those who failed to increase their prostatic acid phosphatase