Abstract:Objective To investigate the characteristics and clinical value of radionuclide bone imaging in patients with bone metastases of esophageal cancer from Kazakh in Xinjiang. Methods Seventy-three patients with esophageal cancer from Kazakh who underwent radionuclide whole body bone scan in the Department of Nuclear Medicine, People’s Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from January 2013 to December 2017 were selected to summarize the characteristics of bone metastasis. 115 patients with esophageal cancer from Han who underwent radionuclide bone imaging were selected for comparison. The data of bone metastasis and the relationship between pathological type and bone metastasis were compared between the two groups. Results The transfer rates of rib, spine, pelvic bone, limb bone and sternoclavicular in 24 Kazakh patients with bone metastases were 87.50% (21/24), 29.17% (7/24), and 16.67% (4/24), 29.17% (7/24) and 8.33% (2/24) respectively, without any skull metastases. In 48 patients with Han patients with esophageal cancer, the transfer rates of ribs, spine bone, pelvic bone, limb bone, sternum clavicle and skull were 39.58% (19/48), 56.25% (27/48), 25.00% (12/48), 33.33% (16/48), 16.67% (8/48) and 4.17% (2/48) respectively. In the incidence of rib and spine bone metastasis, the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P?0.0.5). The rate of rib metastasis of Kazakh esophageal cancer patients was higher than that of Han patients with esophageal cancer. The rate of spinal bone metastasis of Han patients with esophageal cancer was higher than that of Kazakh. There was no significant difference in bone pain between the two groups (P?>?0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of bone metastases between squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and undifferentiated carcinoma in patients with esophageal cancer (P?>?0.05). Conclusion Radionuclide bone imaging has important clinical significance for Kazakh patients with esophageal cancer and is worth of promotion.