technetium-tc-99m-tetrofosmin and Histiocytoma--Benign-Fibrous

One hundred fifteen patients with 119 pulmonary lesions in which malignancy was suspected underwent a SPECT study with 99mTc-Tetrofosmin (TTF) to assess the possible factors involved in the uptake of the radiopharmaceutical. The TTF uptake rate in the lung tumor with respect to that of healthy tissue (TTF index) was evaluated in terms of: benignity and malignancy, histological type, stage, cell differentiation, size, necrosis, survival and the influence of P-glycoprotein (Pgp), detected by immunohistochemistry, on the TTF uptake. The mean TTF index in the 18 benign lesions studied was 1.01 0.05, while that of the 101 malignant lesions was 1.59 0.45 (p < 0.001), with a positive predictive value of 97.7% and a negative predictive value of 50%. The comparison of the histological types, degree of cell differentiation, necrosis and stage revealed no statistically significant differences. With respect to size, those tumors measuring > 3 cm showed greater uptake than smaller lesions. In patients with non-small cell lung cancer, a positive relationship was observed between the TTF index and survival, a circumstance that did not occur in patients with small cell lung cancer. In the cases in which the presence of Pgp was assessed, there was an inverse relationship between the TTF ratio and Pgp expression. In conclusion, thoracic SPECT with 99mTc-TTF has a high positive predictive value for the presence of lung cancer, although a negative study does not rule out the existence of the disease. The reason for this is the inverse relationship between 99mTc-TTF uptake and the density of Pgp expression.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung; Carcinoma, Small Cell; Cell Differentiation; Colorectal Neoplasms; Female; Histiocytoma, Benign Fibrous; Humans; Lung; Lung Diseases; Lung Neoplasms; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Proteins; Organophosphorus Compounds; Organotechnetium Compounds; Prognosis; Radiopharmaceuticals; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon