The use of calcium 47 in diagnostic studies of patients with bone lesions.

Abstract

Physical aspects of calcium-47 and problems of its production and assay are reviewed. Its energetic gamma spectrum and 4.7 day half-life make it very useful for calcium metabolic studies. Dosimetric considerations in both tracer and therapeutic applications are discussed. Results are reported from kinetic and external counting studies using tracer doses of calcium-47 in patients with a variety of bone lesions. The accretion rate and size of the exchangeable calcium pool were measured tn patients with breast carcinoma. The accretion rate was found to be elevated in patients whose bone metastases were clinically active. A whole-body scanner is described which was developed to improve and extend the clinical uses of calcium-47. (C.H.)