One of the most popular and oldest nuclear medicine treatments is a bone scan. It is used to evaluate benign bone illnesses such as infection and inflammation, and it is also the gold standard for assessing metastatic disease in breast, prostate, and lung cancer. A bone scan uses small amounts of radioactive material that are injected into your vein. The material is then absorbed by the bones where it accumulates over time. Computer images are used to create pictures of the body's uptake of this material, which can then be viewed by radiologists who interpret the results. A bone scan can show increased activity due to inflammation from various causes including infections, blood disorders, and autoimmune diseases. It can also show up changes due to aging such as osteoporosis or other bone diseases. In addition, a bone scan may be done after certain treatments such as radiation therapy to check for side effects. Increased activity on a bone scan does not always mean that you have an illness. It may be caused by factors such as excessive exercise, smoking, or taking drugs that affect bone metabolism. However, if the increase in activity is accompanied by pain in the area of the bone that is showing increased activity this indicates a problem that needs medical attention. A doctor should be informed if you have any history of cancer because they may want to do additional testing to look for evidence of disease recurrence.