HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Drum, D. E. Articles by Beard, J. M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Drum, D. E. Articles by Beard, J. M.

Scintigraphic Criteria for Hepatic Metastases from Cancer of the Colon and Breast

Harvard Medical School and the Joint Program in Nuclear Medicine of Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Children's Hospital Medical Center, and Sidney Farber Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts

Correspondence: For reprints contact: David E. Drum, Dept. of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St., Boston, MA 02115.

ABSTRACT

Scintigraphic criteria for hepatic metastases were studied by examination of 333 liver scintigrams performed on 275 patients with primary cancers of the colon or breast. Focal defects in radiocolloid distribution correctly signaled the presence of metastatic colon carcinoma in 88% of the patients with that disease and incorrectly pointed to only 6% of the patients with out such metastases. In contrast, the same criterion detected only 67% of hepatic metastases from breast carcinoma. This lower sensitivity could be improved to 87% by adding heterogeneity or hepatomegaly to the criteria for abnormality when patients with breast cancer are examined. Scintigraphic indicators of metastatic disease may vary according to the site of primary cancer.