You’ll be asked to empty your bladder one last time before the bone scan starts. Just stay nearby so the staff can check in with you.Īfter the waiting period, you’ll change into a gown and take off metal or jewelry that could interfere with the bone scan.
While you’re waiting, you’ll be allowed to walk around and eat. This will help your body get rid of any extra tracer that your bones don’t absorb. During this time, you’ll need to drink several glasses of water. Allergic reactions to the tracer are very uncommon.Īfter you get the tracer, you might have to wait about 3 to 4 hours for your bones to absorb the tracer. This usually goes away within a few hours.
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Some people have mild pain and redness of their skin where the tracer is injected. You might feel some coolness as the tracer moves into your arm - this is normal. You’ll be given the tracer through the IV. Let them know about any medications you take and if you have any allergies.Ī healthcare provider will insert an intravenous (IV) line - usually in your arm. You’ll check in and your team will ask some basic questions.
Here’s what you should expect during your bone scan: Most people don’t need sedation medications for their bone scan, so you’ll be able to drive yourself home afterward. You should bring something to help you pass the time, like a book or something to watch. A bone scan takes several hours to complete. The day of your bone scan, be ready to spend several hours at the imaging center. Some people find it easier to do this if they haven’t had too many fluids before the appointment. During the test, you’ll be asked to drink a lot of water. Try not to drink too many fluids the day of your test. These medications can interfere with the bone scan results. Here are two things your provider might ask of you:ĭon’t take any medications that have bismuth - like Pepto-Bismol - for about a week before your bone scan. What should you expect during a bone scan?Ī bone scan is painless, and there’s not much preparation required.
If you have prostate cancer that is high risk for bone metastasis, your healthcare team might use bone scans to check how your cancer is doing during treatment. Some types are more likely to move to the bones than others. A bone scan might show signs of metastasis sooner than other images like MRI or CT scan. Depending on what type of treatment you had, a rising PSA level could mean that the cancer has moved to your bones. Other reasons you might need a bone scan is if you are diagnosed with high risk or intermediate risk prostate cancer or if your PSA level is rising - especially after prostate removal. If you have symptoms of bone metastasis, your healthcare team will ask you to get a bone scan. When do you need a bone scan for prostate cancer?īone scans are used to see if the prostate cancer has moved from the prostate and into the bones. X-rays and other imaging studies may not be as precise. They are a tool that let’s healthcare providers completely evaluate your bones. Your body is able to get rid of the material safely once the procedure is over.īone scans are very helpful in diagnosing and treating prostate cancer. You’re only allowed to take a very small amount of this material, and you won’t have multiple scans or multiple exposures in a short time. The images will show if any of your bones have the tracer stuck to them.Īlthough a bone scan uses radioactive material, it’s actually very safe. The material sticks to certain parts of the bone more than others - this is called “uptake.” Once it sticks to the bones, the material gives off energy called “gamma rays.” The radiologist then uses a special camera, called a “ gamma camera,” to take pictures of your entire body. It’s also called a “bone scintigraphy” or “technetium-99m-MDP scan.”ĭuring a bone scan, you get a small amount of radioactive material called a “radionucleotide” (or tracer). What is a bone scan?Ī bone scan is a special type of imaging study. Here’s everything you need to know about getting a bone scan for prostate cancer.
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While your healthcare team can tell you what your bone scan means and why it’s important, you might have questions about what to expect and how to prepare. Not everyone with prostate cancer gets a bone scan, so it can be hard to know where to turn for help. While you all might have shared the same initial experiences - like prostate biopsies and ultrasounds - things can start to diverge as you get further into your treatment. If you’re living with prostate cancer, you might have noticed that over time your treatment course is becoming different from others in your support network. Prostate cancer may be common, but not all prostate cancers are the same.
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