technetium-tc-99m-tetrofosmin and Carcinoma--Large-Cell

99Tcm-tetrofosmin planar imaging was performed in 30 patients with malignant and benign lung lesions. There were 21 cases of primary lung cancer (10 squamous cell, 5 small cell, 4 adenocarcinoma and 2 large cell) and 9 benign lung lesions (4 pneumonia, 3 tuberculosis, 1 infected bronchiectasis and 1 bronchiectasis obliterans). Anterior and posterior planar thorax images were obtained 30 min after the intravenous injection of 740 MBq (20 mCi) of 99Tcm-tetrofosmin. Visual and quantitative evaluations were performed. For the quantitative evaluation, regions of interest were drawn over the lesioned area (L) and over the contralateral non-lesioned area (N). Of 21 malignant primary lesions; 19 (90%) showed 99Tcm-tetrofosmin accumulation. Four (44%) of the nine benign lung lesions (3 cases of pneumonia and the one case of active tuberculosis) showed uptake. The mean L/N ratios for the malignant and benign lesions were 1.63 +/- 0.29 and 1.64 +/- 0.19, respectively. There were no significant differences (P > 0.05) in the L/N ratios of the malignant and benign lesions or the various histological types of cancer. In conclusion, 99Tcm-tetrofosmin was highly sensitive (90%) in detecting malignant lung lesions, but it had poor specificity (55%).

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Adult; Aged; Bronchiectasis; Bronchiolitis Obliterans; Carcinoma, Large Cell; Carcinoma, Small Cell; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Evaluation Studies as Topic; Female; Humans; Lung Diseases; Lung Neoplasms; Male; Middle Aged; Organophosphorus Compounds; Organotechnetium Compounds; Pneumonia; Radionuclide Imaging; Radiopharmaceuticals; Sensitivity and Specificity; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

We conducted a preliminary study of captation of the new radiopharmaceutical 99mTc-tetrofosmin in cases of primary carcinoma of the lung, analyzing the results of 5 cases studied before surgery with single photon emission tomography (SPECT) of the lung. The results obtained by imaging were compared with those from surgery. Tumor size ranged between 3.5 and 9 cm. In all cases the images showed that captation of the radiotracer by the neoplasm was satisfactory, leaving the area of the tumor clearly distinguishable from normal adjacent lung tissue and giving no signs of interference caused by absorption of 99mTc-tetrofosmin by contiguous structures (heart or liver). Based on these preliminary results we assert that SPECT of the lung using 99mTc-tetrofosmin may be useful in the clinical diagnosis of malignant lung tumors, although further research must determine to what extent the technique can be relied upon.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Carcinoma, Bronchogenic; Carcinoma, Large Cell; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Drug Evaluation; Female; Humans; Lung Neoplasms; Lymphatic Metastasis; Male; Middle Aged; Organophosphorus Compounds; Organotechnetium Compounds; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon