technetium-tc-99m-tetrofosmin and Lung-Diseases

Technetium-99m-tetrofosmin is a radiopharmaceutical employed for myocardial imaging, which has recently emerged as useful in the visualization of tumors. In this study technetium-99m-tetrofosmin was evaluated for its accuracy in differentiating malignant from benign pulmonary lesions, and in detecting mediastinal node metastasis due to lung cancer. Eighty-one patients with a solitary lung lesion on the chest radiograph and/or CT scan were submitted to chest single photon emission computed tomography after technetium-99m-tetrofosmin injection (740 MBq i.v.). The scintigraphic findings were correlated to the final histopathological diagnosis, demonstrating abnormal tracer accumulation in 51 of 54 malignant lesions (sensitivity 94%) and in 4 out of 27 benign conditions (specificity 85%), yielding an accuracy of 91%. Mediastinal lymph-node involvement was evaluated in 35 patients with non small cell lung cancer who underwent mediastinoscopy and/or surgery. Tetrofosmin accuracy (89%) was significantly higher than that of CT (69%, p < 0.05); the false negative scintigraphic results were in nodes sized less than 1 cm. In conclusion, technetium-99m-tetrofosmin imaging is useful in distinguishing malignant from benign pulmonary lesions, and in non-invasively assessing mediastinal node metastases from non small cell lung cancer, especially in patients with enlarged nodes by CT scan.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung; Carcinoma, Small Cell; Diagnosis, Differential; False Negative Reactions; False Positive Reactions; Female; Humans; Lung Diseases; Lung Neoplasms; Lymphatic Metastasis; Male; Mediastinal Neoplasms; Middle Aged; Organophosphorus Compounds; Organotechnetium Compounds; Predictive Value of Tests; Radiopharmaceuticals; Sensitivity and Specificity; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

To evaluate the usefulness of 99mTc-tetrofosmin (TF) SPECT in the detection of intrathoracic malignant lesions, we studied 304 patients, 261 with malignant and 43 with benign lesions; 196 of the former had non-treated primary tumors, 193 lung cancer (LC) and 3 mesotheliomas, 11 had LC recurrences and 54 had metastases from different kinds of tumors. Twenty-nine patients with primary tumors were re-checked after chemotherapy or surgery. In all patients, after 740 MBq TF injection, both planar and SPECT images were acquired and analysed qualitatively, SPECT images also semiquantitatively. Scintigraphy was always compared to CT. SPECT showed higher sensitivity, specificity and accuracy values than CT (98.1, 90.7 and 97 vs. 96.2, 81.4, and 93.9%, respectively), their combined use achieving 100% sensitivity and 98.8% accuracy. Planar did not give more information than SPECT, showing a significantly lower sensitivity (63.2%) and accuracy (67.4%). SPECT showed higher accuracy values than CT and planar (86.9 vs. 78.3 and 69.6%) in NSCLC mediastinal lymph node staging. Moreover, SPECT was concordant with CT in correctly evaluating the response to chemotherapy or surgery in all monitorized primary tumors cases, except in one in whom only SPECT detected residual tumor. The semiquantitative analysis added useful information in differentiating malignant from benign lesions and in monitoring the response to chemo-therapy. TF SPECT appears a highly accurate diagnostic method in the detection of intrathoracic malignant lesions, in lungs and pleura, as well as in NSCLC mediastinal lymph node staging and in monitoring treatment effectiveness, playing a complementary role to CT in selected cases.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung; Combined Modality Therapy; False Negative Reactions; False Positive Reactions; Female; Humans; Lung Diseases; Lung Neoplasms; Lymphatic Metastasis; Male; Mesothelioma; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Neoplasm, Residual; Organophosphorus Compounds; Organotechnetium Compounds; Pleural Neoplasms; Predictive Value of Tests; Radiopharmaceuticals; Sensitivity and Specificity; Thoracic Neoplasms; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Treatment Outcome

The lower thorax and upper abdomen are visualized during cardiac acquisition of rest Tl-201 and stress Tc-99m tetrofosmin gated SPECT. Thus, abnormal Tl-201 localization in these areas and in organs such as parts of the lungs, liver, spleen, and kidneys can be observed, including rotating raw cine data.. Other than cardiac images, the authors retrospectively reviewed Tl-201 rotating (raw data) images of 235 patients. Abnormal findings in the lungs, liver, spleen, and kidneys were identified that correlated with the patients' clinical information; radiographic findings, including computed tomography and ultrasonography of the abdomen; other scintigraphic studies; and laboratory findings.. In 53 patients, 54 abnormalities were detected. Intrathoracic abnormalities included focal areas of increased uptake, one in the right lower lung and another in the right upper lung that confirmed lung cancer, in 2 patients; diffuse uptake in both lungs in 11 patients; photopenia in the lung bases, which had resulted from pleural effusions, in 3 patients; and abnormal right liver configuration caused by elevation of the right hemidiaphragm in 1 patient. Of the intra-abdominal abnormalities, 12 patients with splenomegaly were identified. Six patients had focal areas of increased uptake in the gastric area. Nonvisualization of one kidney resulted from a congenitally absent right kidney in 1 patient, from right nephrectomy in 1 patient, from end-stage renal disease in another, and from a lower position of the left or right kidneys in 5 patients. Small and decreased uptake of both kidneys resulted from end-stage renal disease in 1 patient. Small and decreased uptake of one kidney was noted in 1 patient with renal scarring, in 1 patient with a renal stone, in 3 patients with chronic pyelonephritis, and in 5 patients with renal cyst(s).. Discernible intrathoracic and intra-abdominal abnormalities using rotating raw cine data from imaging in three-dimensional displays include diffuse or focal pulmonary uptake, pleural effusion, elevation of a hemidiaphragm, splenomegaly, increased uptake in the gastric area, renal abnormalities including absent or small kidneys, end-stage renal disease, renal scarring, renal cyst(s), and lower position of a kidney. The incidental finding of such abnormalities may prompt further clinical investigation.

Topics: Abdomen; Cardiovascular Diseases; Digestive System Diseases; Gated Blood-Pool Imaging; Humans; Kidney Diseases; Lung Diseases; Motion Pictures; Organophosphorus Compounds; Organotechnetium Compounds; Radiopharmaceuticals; Retrospective Studies; Sensitivity and Specificity; Thallium; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Ultrasonography

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

Topics: Humans; Lung Diseases; Lung Neoplasms; Organophosphorus Compounds; Organotechnetium Compounds; Radiopharmaceuticals; Sensitivity and Specificity; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

Topics: ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1; Humans; Lung Diseases; Lung Neoplasms; Organophosphorus Compounds; Organotechnetium Compounds; Radiopharmaceuticals; Sensitivity and Specificity; Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

Technetium-99m-tetrofosmin has emerged as a new radiopharmaceutical for myocardial imaging, in competition with 201Tl and 99mTc-MIBI. In this study, 99mTc-tetrofosmin was evaluated for its ability to detect malignant and benign lesions from single solid lung masses.. Forty-nine patients with a single solid lung mass based on chest radiograph findings received 99mTc-tetrofosmin SPECT of the chest to evaluate the value of 99mTc-tetrofosmin SPECT for detecting malignant and benign lesions.. Only 61% of the lung malignancies were detected by 99mTc-tetrofosmin SPECT of the chest, including 53% of epidermoid carcinoma (ca), 67% of adeno ca, 75% of small-cell ca, 0% of undifferentiated large-cell ca and 100% of other lung malignancies. In addition, 50% of the benign lesions were detected by chest 99mTc-tetrofosmin SPECT. The probability of tetrofosmin uptake in the mass was not related to mass size. The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 61%, 50% and 59%, respectively, for differentiating malignant and benign lesions when diagnosing a single solid lung mass.. Technetium-99m-tetrofosmin SPECT of the chest is of little or no value for the detection of lung ca from single solid lung masses.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Carcinoma, Small Cell; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Female; Humans; Lung Diseases; Lung Neoplasms; Male; Middle Aged; Organophosphorus Compounds; Organotechnetium Compounds; Radiopharmaceuticals; Sensitivity and Specificity; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

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