Nuclear medicine communications
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The aim of this prospective study is to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic usefulness of F-18 sodium fluoride (NaF) positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) relative to Tc-99m methylene diphosphonate (MDP) planar bone scintigraphy with no CT (BS) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with suspicious bone metastasis. ⋯ F-18 NaF using PET-CT system has significantly better sensitivity and specificity than conventional Tc-99m MDP BS in detecting metastatic HCC bone lesions that are predominantly osteolytic. The diagnostic result of PET-CT also serves as a more effective prognostic indictor for HCC patients.