Identification of metastasis in the skeleton bones in patients with breast and prostate cancer: markers of bone metabolism and MRI diagnostics

Abstract

The purpose of the investigation is to study biochemical markers of bone metabolism in patients with breast cancer and prostate cancer during periods of stable remission and recurrence/metastasis and to assess their informative value in the diagnosis and monitoring of skeletal lesions. The study included 21 female patients with breast cancer and 18 male patients with prostate cancer. The start of monitoring is at least 3 years after complete tumor regression as a result of treatment: breast cancer – radical mastectomy, prostate cancer – radical prostatectomy. Markers of bone resorption (urine deoxypyridinoline, C-terminal telopeptide and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase of blood serum) and osteogenesis (bone alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin of blood serum) in patients with breast cancer and prostate cancer can be used for early diagnosis of metastasis in the skeleton bones: changes in indicators are observed 6-10 months before the first radiological/ MRI signs appear. The application of simultaneously used markers of bone resorption and osteogenesis in patients with breast cancer and prostate cancer provides a sensitivity of 89.7 %, a specificity of 84.5 %, a positive predictive value of 82.6 % and a negative predictive value of 95.3 %.