title: Assessment of residual tumor viability in thymic carcinoma by sequential thallium-201 SPECT: comparison with CT and biopsy findings.
abstract: We present a case of 201TI accumulating thymic carcinoma, in which sequential CT scans demonstrated a steady decrease in tumor volume. The presence of a residual mass on CT scans after the completion of therapy presented the clinical dilemma of whether or not a viable tumor remained. Sequential 201TI SPECT images demonstrated a marked decrease in tumor uptake. At 2 wk after therapy, no significant accumulation of 201TI in the region of the residual mass was observed, indicating a lack of viable tumor. A biopsy specimen revealed no tumor cells. Sequential histopathologic findings were correlated well with the findings of 201TI SPECT rather than those of CT. Thallium-201 SPECT is of great clinical value in assessing tumor viability in the course of therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Seto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kageyama
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Y W
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kamei
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kakishita
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual; D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes; D013945:Thymoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000473:pathology; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes