Contribution of (99m)Tc-depreotide (Neospect) scintigraphy in lung cancer staging.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of scintigraphy with (99m)Tc-depreotide in the staging of lung cancer, especially in cases where CT findings are doubtful.


METHODS
53 patients with suspected lung cancer were investigated with whole body planar acquisition and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) of the thorax after i.v. injection of 740 MBq (99m)Tc-depreotide (Neospect). The results were compared with CT and correlated with histological findings.


RESULTS
In 50 of 53 patients the biopsy was positive for bronchogenic carcinoma (31 patients with non small cell lung cancer [NSCLC], 18 with small cell lung cancer (SCLC), and 1 patient with neuroendocrine cancer). In the remaining 3, biopsy revealed no bronchogenic carcinoma (3 patients with inflammation). In 2/31 patients with NSCLC and doubtful CT findings, uptake of (99m)Tc-depreotide was the only non invasive reliable staging method.


CONCLUSIONS
It seems that scintigraphy with (99m)Tc-depreotide in patients with SCLC does not change the tumor stage, whereas in NSCLC the contribution of Neospect in lung cancer staging may be a helpful tool, especially in cases where CT alone is unable to distinguish between IIIA and IIIB stages (operable from non operable status).
Karathanos
E
E
Department of Nuclear Medicine, University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Dragana, Alexandroupolis, Greece. karathanos@yahoo.com
Datseris
I
I
Vlontzou
E
E
Zisimopoulos
A
A
Georgiou
E
E
D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D018358:Neuroendocrine Tumors / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D055752:Small Cell Lung Carcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013004:Somatostatin; C444119:technetium Tc 99m depreotide