Aim Cancer is the third leading cause of mortality worldwide, the second in developed countries, and represents 13% of all deaths in the world [1]. Approximately 70% of patients with cancer have bone metastases (BM) at their time of death [2,3]; the spinal column is one of the most common sites of BM [4], accounting for 40% of metastases [5]. The goal of this study is to evaluate a diagnostic test, which can allow the comparison between Diffusion-weighted imaging with background suppression (DWIBS) [6,7,8], the...

The protocol was authorized by the bioethics committee of the Instituto de Neurobiología of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Patients were recruited form public institutions (Secretaría de Salud, IMSS, and ISSSTE), as well as, private institutions. Patients who met inclusion criteria were included (Table 1) and provided their signed informed consent. Once the DWIBS was performed, the 18F-NaF PET/CT was performed within 10 days. Each study was interpreted by two evaluators, providing a final report by the MRI unit and PET/CT unit.

From April 2014 to November 2015, 56 patients (100%) were interviewed, of which 48 (85%) met the inclusion criteria (Table 2). Six patients (15%) were eliminated from the study due to the following reasons: 2 patients died, 1 patient had a pacemaker, 2 patients had respiratory failure, and 1 patient did not wish to be included. Forty-two patients (75%) were included, of which 76% were women. The reported primary cancer was the following: a) breast 64.2%; b) prostate 19%; c) Non-Hodgkin lymphoma 4.7%; d) cervical...

DWIBS has high sensitivity, low specificity; while its PPV and NPV are acceptable. Nonetheless, these data remain unstable due to the reduced sample size. Our inclusion goal is of 112 patients; with this sample size we will obtain more stable results [13].Among the advantages of DWIBS are that it is a non-invasive procedure, there is no exposure to ionizing radiation [14],does not require contrast agent, as well as its greater accessibility and lower cost [15].

Barragán-Campos HM, MD, MSc1; Valtierra-Rivera A, MD1; Mondragon JD, MD1; Jiménez-Zarazúa O1, MD; Ortíz-Retana J, MSc1; Altamirano-Ley J, PhD2; López Soto F, MD3; Ávila-Rodríguez MA, PhD4. 1 Uniidad de Resonancia Magnética. Instituto de Neurobiología. Campus Juriquilla, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Boulevard Juriquilla 3001. Col Juriquilla. Querétaro, Qro. CP 76230. MEXICO. TEL: +52 (442) 192-6112. FAX: +52 (442) 234-0650. E-mail:[email protected], [email protected] 2 Unidad PET/CT, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. 3 Departamento de Oncología, Hospital General de Querétaro, Querétaro, México. 4 Unidad de...

1.Ferlay J, Shin HR, Bray F, et al. Estimates of worldwide burden of cancer in 2008: GLOBOCAN 2008. International journal of cancer 2010; 127(12): 2893-917. 2.Kwee TC, Takahara T, Katahira K, et al. Whole-body MRI for detecting bone marrow metastases. PET Clin. 2010;5:297-309. 3.Coleman R. Clinical Features of Metastatic Bone Disease and Risk of Skeletal Morbidity. Clin Cancer Res 2006;12(20 Suppl) 4.Bohm P, Huber J. The surgical treatment of bony metastases of the spine and limbs. J Bone Joint Surg Br 2002;84:521-9. 5.Wong DA, Fornasier...