The bones form the basic structure of the human body. They are essential for maintaining structural rigidity and for allowing us to carry heavy weights and perform tasks that we consider to be normal. A bone scan is a medical diagnostic procedure that is used to analyze the bones of the body. It is different from the DEXA scan which is used to measure bone density. A bone scan is used to look for inflammations, tumors, undetected fractures and other issues that might affect one or many bones in the body. Bone cancer is a serious problem that could be diagnosed using a bone scan.
The bone scan uses a nuclear reactive radioisotope which is injected into the body. Usually, scanning is conducted before the injection and 3 hours after the injection. The rate at which the isotope binds with the bone is useful in determining the status of the bone. Any tumor or abnormal tissue in the bone may show up on a bone scan because the isotope is absorbed more quickly by that part of the bone.
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that affects the prostate gland which is located just below the urinary bladder and just above the urethra. It is an important gland that secretes an alkaline substance which improves the successful passage of sperm into a woman's body during the process of reproduction. The vagina is acidic in nature and the alkalinity of the prostate fluid is something that helps to neutralize this problem. The prostate also controls the flow of urine, preventing urine from leaking into the urethra when sexual activity is taking place. This ensures that only semen is passed out of the urethra during male orgasm.
Prostate cancer is detectable using traditional scanning methods or by digital rectal exam. When cancer spreads across the body it is known as metastasis. Prostate cancer tends to spread quickly to the bones of an individual when the disease becomes advanced. This means that a bone scan for prostate cancer is one of the methods that can be used to detect this form of cancer. A bone scan for prostate cancer is useful to detect the presence of tumor cells within the bones of the body and confirm a case of prostate cancer. This confirmation is arrived at when the patient presents with other symptoms that could be associated with prostate cancer. A bone scan for prostate cancer is essential to understand the progression of the disease.