An observational and prolective investigation was realized.
470 patients’ medical records (Centro de Cáncer ABC) were collected from January 2014 to January 2016 (2 year period).
As a requisite patients had to count with the computed tomography study (CT abdomen-pelvis protocol) in our hospital,
as well as the Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry study (DXA); both studies were had to be divided by a time lapse of less than a month
Finally patients who did not count with a complete medical record or that could not realize the measurement of bone mineral content in both studies were excluded.
130 complete medical records of patients with breast cancer,
densitometry and computed tomography study were obtained.
The medical records were acquired from the electronic program TIMSA,
with previous approbation of the ethical committee of the medical center.
The densitometer used is a Hologic brand,
Discovery WI model with serial number 87039.
The tomography equipment employed was a 64 slice GE tomographer,
lightspeed VCT model with a serial number 5230VCTABC.
The following diagram describes the followed procedure for the data collection.
In figure 1 it is shown how the bone mineral density values are obtained in the L1-L4 lumbar segment,
as well as the corresponding standard deviations using the DXA study. In figure 2 and 3 it is demonstrated how the bone mineral density values of both hips are obtained with the DXA study.
To conclude,
figure 4 shows the measurement procedure of the bone density in the trabecular portion of the L3 vertebra.
Study population
The studied population were women with a confirmatory diagnosis of breast cancer,
attended in the American British Cowdray Medical Center Campus Observatorio and Campus Santa Fe.
They had to count with intra-hospital pathology and image studies.
The densitometry and abdominal computed tomography scan were separated by a lapse of time of less than a month.
Selection criteria
· Inclusion criteria
Female patients with a confirmatory diagnosis of breast cancer had to have the DXA and abdomen-pelvic CT scan separated by a period of time of less than a month.
· Exclusion criteria
Patients with hyperthyroidism,
treatments based on corticosteroids.
· Elimination criteria
Incomplete medical records,
unreliable DXA and CT scan results
Materials and instruments
1. Human resources: medical staff of the Department of Radiology and Imaging
2. Digital archive system PACS and RIS carestream of the American British Cowdray Medical Center
3. Reports and medical-surgical and histopathological notes from TIMSA
4. Characteristics of the employed equipment:
-The densitometer used is a Hologic brand,
Discovery WI model with serial number 87039
-The tomography equipment employed was a 64 slice GE tomographer,
lightspeed VCT model with a serial number 5230VCTABC.
Statistical Analysis
Means and standard deviations,
frequencies and percentages were determined.
The applied tests were Smirnov-Kolmogorov,
Chi-Square,
Student’s T-test and ANOVA.
The parameters of diagnostic test for qualitative data were determined,
as well as the ROC curve.
The data analysis was made with the SPSSv19 program and Epidat 3.1.
The confidence interval taken was of 95% for all the tests and determinations.