title: Role of immunoscintigraphy in clinical assessment of gastrointestinal tumors.
abstract: From June 1986 until April 1989 31 patients with gastrointestinal tumors were studied at follow-up for recurrences by immunoscintigraphy (IS) using F(ab)2 fragments of monoclonal antibodies anti CEA and anti CA 19-9. IS was employed to confirm the presence of metastases already found (group A) and to verify metastases suspected following physical and instrumental examinations and/or increases in CEA and/or CA 19-9 (group B). Thirty-four IS findings have been evaluated to date: 19 in group A, with 18 true positive and 1 false negative results; 15 in group B. In these patients there were 12 cases of pathologic high fixation: 6 were confirmed using standard examinations after a median follow-up of 1 month (range 1-12); 6 cases had no metastatic evolution at the suspected site after a follow-up of 5-28 months. In 3 cases IS was negative, these patients are disease free at 13, 14 and 24 months. In group B, 5 of 8 abdominal intense fixations were early diagnoses of local or peritoneal recurrences. The overall accuracy was 79.4% and it was not affected by circulating CEA levels; sensitivity was 96%. IS can be considered useful as a primary diagnostic examination in the follow-up of patients with suspected abdominal metastases.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Clinica Medica, Università Cattolica del S. Cuore, Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barone
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ricevuto
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Garufi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cassano
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Astone
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grieco
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Albanese
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giordano
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Troncone
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen