Patent ID: 8178076

Claim:
A method of measuring calcium metabolism in a patient and obtaining information useful for determining malignancy, comprising the steps of: administering radioactive calcium isotope 41 Ca to the patient, allowing a period of time to elapse sufficient for dissemination and reaction of said radioactive calcium isotope 41 Ca by the patient, obtaining a sample of said radioactive calcium isotope 41 Ca from the patient, isolating the calcium content of said sample in a form suitable for precise measurement of isotopic calcium concentrations, measuring said isotopic calcium concentrations of said calcium thereby producing measurements of parameters of calcium metabolism, and obtaining the information useful for determining malignancy by comparing said measurements of parameters of calcium metabolism to a standard, wherein said step of obtaining the information useful for determining malignancy by comparing said measurements of parameters of calcium metabolism to a standard includes obtaining the information useful for determining malignancy by comparing said measurements of parameters of calcium metabolism to a standard of calcium metabolism for solid tumors.