Bone marrow biopsy and bone scan to detect skeletal metastases.

This study correlates the findings of bone marrow biopsy with those of bone scan in patients with common cancers and highlights the comparable sensitivities of the two methods at the authors' institution. The results show that bone scintigraphy may be slightly more sensitive than bone marrow examination for the detection of carcinomatous metastases. This experience suggests that institutions should devise clinical pathways based on their testing sensitivities and patient characteristics. These considerations will ultimately result in better and more cost-effective treatment of these patients.