Bone cancer is usually diagnosed about three months after symptoms first appear, and 20 percent of malignant tumors have metastasized to the lungs or other parts of the body by that time.
It destroys hard-to-detect cancer cells that have spread (metastasized) through the circulation or lymph system.
Primary tumors or cells that have metastasized absorb the radioactive material and show up as dark spots on the scan.
Likelihood of long-term survival depends on the type and location of the tumor, how much the tumor has metastasized, and on what organs, bones, or tissues have been affected.
It usually is used to treat patients with cancer that has spread from the place in the body where it originated (metastasized).