Should bone scans be ordered for almost every patient newly diagnosed with prostate cancer?

Most men with incidental prostate cancer do not require staging imaging, according to guidelines, but a recent study published in The Journal of Urology (2012;187:97-102) showed that 45% of men with low-risk PCa received inappropriate imaging, which the researchers defined as any imaging for men at low risk. A recent study published in the Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology (2011;41:1209-1213) concluded the incidence of bone metastases in PCa patients with PSA level of 20 ng/mL or less and a Gleason score of 6 or less at initial diagnosis is “reasonably low” and bone scans can be spared in these patients.

Renal & Urology News would like to learn what urologists’ practice patterns are with respect to the ordering of bone scans, so we invite you to answer the following poll question:

Should bone scans be ordered for every patient newly diagnosed with prostate cancer?
Leave a comment below to explain your choice.

From the May 01, 2012 Issue of Renal and Urology News