Technetium-99m glucoheptonate imaging in lung cancer and benign lung disease: concise communication.
We prospectively studied technetium-99m glucoheptonate (Tc-GHA) uptake in 58 patients with newly diagnosed lung cancer and in 20 patients with pulmonary inflammatory disease or metastatic carcinoma. Fifty-three (91%) primary tumors accumulated Tc-GHA: squamous cell 20/22, adenocarcinoma 7/7, large cell 10/11, and small cell 16/18. Intensity of tumor uptake was greatest in small-cell cancer. Supraclavicular metastases were detected in two patients. Fourteen patients with mediastinal evaluation by Tc-GHA imaging and trispiral tomography underwent mediastinoscopy or thoracotomy. Five of ten patients with negative mediastinum by tomography and Tc-GHA imaging showed metastases by biopsy (false-negative Tc-GHA). Less intense accumulation of Tc-GHA was observed in 18/20 cases of pulmonary inflammatory disease or pulmonary metastases. Although Tc-GHA accumulates by an unknown mechanism in primary lung cancer, we cannot recommend its use in detecting mediastinal spread of lung cancer due to its unacceptably high false-negative rate.
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002283:Carcinoma, Bronchogenic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006660:Histoplasmosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000556:secondary; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013400:Sugar Acids; D013667:Technetium
D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D013400:Sugar Acids; D013667:Technetium; C100014:technetium Tc 99m gluceptate