Diagnostic imaging techniques for diagnosing bone metastases of non-small cell lung cancer

Lung cancer bone metastases hold one of the leading positions. At the same time, data of the rate of lung cancer bone metastases are scarce. Clinical symptoms of bone metastases in the early stages may be missing. Time of bone metastases appearance, as well as localization depending on the size of primary lesion and its histological structure are not well-covered. According to domestic and foreign literature data, the advantages and limitations of radiological and nuclear methods in detecting bone metastases of non-small cell lung cancer are presented, their resolution and sensitivity are discussed. The analysis of comparative results of various diagnostic imaging techniques in detecting lung cancer bone metastases (X-ray, bone scintigraphy, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, single-photon emission computed tomography, positron-emission tomography) is of undoubted interest. These data are necessary for choosing the appropriate diagnostic tactics and selecting an adequate sequence of using high-tech radiology methods for early detection of lung cancer bone metastases. However, the comparative data presented in the literature are generally based on a scarce clinical material; mostly comparisons of diagnostic capabilities of only two methods were held. There is no data on the rate of bone metastases of peripheral non-small cell lung cancer and its association with the localization, size and histological structure of the primary tumor.