Why is calcium-47 used for study of bone metabolism?
Answers
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.);