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| A measure of the amount of minerals (mostly calcium and phosphorous) contained in a certain volume of bone. Bone mass measurements are used to diagnose osteoporosis (a condition marked by decreased bone mass), to see how well osteoporosis treatments are working, and to predict how likely the bones are to break. Low bone mass can occur in patients treated for cancer. Also called bone mineral density, BMD, and bone density. |
Previous Definitions: | bone marrow aspiration, bone marrow biopsy, bone marrow cancer, bone marrow metastasis, bone marrow transplantation | Next Definitions: | bone metastasis, bone mineral density, bone mineral density scan, bone scan, bone-seeking radioisotope |
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