title: The contribution of immunoscintigraphy to the diagnosis of head and neck tumours.
abstract: Immunoscintigraphy with 111In-F(ab')2-anti-carcinoembryonic-antigen monoclonal antibody was performed in patients with primary head and neck tumours (n = 14), recurrences (n = 3) and suspected posttherapy lymph node metastases (n = 3). No false-positive but two false-negative results were obtained. Single photon emission tomography was performed 24 h after the intravenous administration of the radiopharmaceutical with a positive predictive value of 100% and a sensitivity of 90%. Only two very small (< 1 mm diameter) and necrotic primary tumours escaped detection, while the recurrences and lymph node metastases were always correctly diagnosed, in contrast to computerized tomography and ultrasound. Even though highly selective patients only were considered in the present research, the results do suggest that immunoscintigraphy may be usefully applied in all routine protocols for the study of head and neck cancer.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Medicina Nucleare, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Rossi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maurizi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Almadori
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Di Giuda
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Paludetti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cadoni
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ottaviani
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Galli
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000276:immunology; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007140:Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments; D007205:Indium Radioisotopes; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009336:Necrosis; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D016719:Radioimmunodetection; D012008:Recurrence; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D007140:Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments; D007205:Indium Radioisotopes