title: 57Co-bleomycin imaging study of tumors of the head and neck.
abstract: 57Co-Bleomycin (57Co-BLM) was used to visualize malignancies of the head and neck because it does not present the disadvantages of many other radiopharmaceuticals. In a series of 21 patients with 9 control subjects and 12 cases of tumors. 57Co-BLM showed a high and rapid uptake in primary site and metastases of malignant tumors of various histologic types, but not in benign tumors such as angiofibromas. Compared to 67Ga-citrate. 57Co-BLM has many advantages for tumor imaging in the areas of nose, pharynx and larynx: No background activity due to the concentration of 57Co-BLM in normal structures of the head and neck has ever been observed, as opposed to what happens with 67Ga-citrate. Furthermore, the blood clearance of 57Co-BLM is much more rapid than that of 67Ga-citrate, so that an early study may be performed in a 6-24 hr. interval instead of 48-72 hr. with 67Ga-citrate. 57Co-BLM scintigraphy is an easy, non-invasive and sensible diagnostic technique in determining the extent of malignant tumors in ORL patients.
mesh_terms: D001761:Bleomycin; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003037:Cobalt Radioisotopes; D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D018219:Histiocytoma, Benign Fibrous / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging
chemical_list: D003037:Cobalt Radioisotopes; D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes; D001761:Bleomycin