ABSTRACT
Objective To study the clinical and imaging features of patients with bone metastases from breast cancer and identify the factors related to the incidence of bone metastases. Methods Three hundred and thirty-four patients with breast cancer were recruited into this study. Whole-body 99Tcm-methylene disphosphonate (MDP) bone scan, clinical staging, pathological, immunohistochemical and serological test results were analyzed retrospectively. χ2 test was used for statistical analysis. Results The incidence rate of bone metastases for patients with and without lymph node metastases was 71% (152/214) and 22. 5% (27/120), respectively (χ2 =72.80, P =0.000). The incidence rate of bone metastases from infiltrated non-specified and specified breast cancer was 69% (203/294) and 41.7% (5/12), respectively (χ2 =3. 97, P=0.046). Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was elevated in 28.5% (51/179) and 14.9%(11/74) of patients with and without bone metastases, respectively (χ2 = 5. 25, P = 0.022 ). Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen (CA) 15-3, CA125, CA19-9 increased in 68.7% ( 123/179) and 27.0% (20/74) of patients with and without bone metastases, respectively (χ2 = 37. 03, P =0. 000). Conclusions The incidence of bone metastases from breast cancer is correlated to pathological types of primary tumor and lymph node metastases. Bone metastases occurs more frequently in patients with infiltrated, non-specified, primary cancer and with lymph node metastases. Serum ALP, CEA, CA15-3,CA125, CA19-9 might be the tumor makers for early diagnosis of bone metastases from breast cancer.