Primary lung cancer SPECT imaging with pentavalent technetium-99m-DMSA.
To assess the clinical role of 99mTc(V)-DMSA in primary lung cancers, SPECT imaging was performed on 31 patients with suspected lung cancer.


METHODS
Planar and SPECT images were obtained at 3 to 4 hr after intravenous injection of approximately 555 MBq 99mTc(V)-DMSA. Two uptake ratios (the maximum counts/pixel in the lesion to the average counts in normal tissue) were calculated.


RESULTS
Various types of primary lung cancers (adenocarcinoma, squamous-cell carcinoma, small-cell carcinoma, large-cell carcinoma and bronchial carcinoid tumor) were imaged by 99mTc(V)-DMSA SPECT. Approximately 90% of the lung carcinomas showed increased uptake and were clearly demonstrated by SPECT images. Four cases incidentally revealed osseous metastatic lesion. Three benign lesions did not show increased uptake. Three cases were false-negative and there were no false-positive cases for the primary lesions.


CONCLUSIONS
Technetium-99m(V)-DMSA SPECT images demonstrated approximately 90% of the primary lung cancers. Uptake ratios were higher in squamous-cell carcinomas than adenocarcinomas. Evaluation of mediastinal tumor extension and nodal metastatic lesion was very difficult by high blood-pool activity in the major cardiovascular structures due to slow blood-pool clearance. However, 99mTc(V)-DMSA SPECT imaging was very useful for detecting primary lung cancers and metastatic lesions to the osseous structures.
Hirano
T
T
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Gunma Unversity, School of Medicine, Japan.
Otake
H
H
Yoshida
I
I
Endo
K
K
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D004113:Succimer; D019783:Technetium Tc 99m Dimercaptosuccinic Acid; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D019783:Technetium Tc 99m Dimercaptosuccinic Acid; D004113:Succimer