Background: 99mTC-tetrofosmin recently has emerged as a new radiopharmaceutical for cancer visualization. In this study, the authors have investigated, for the first time in a comprehensive way, its ability to assess lung carcinoma dissemination and progression.
Methods: A 99mTC-tetrofosmin scan was incorporated into the pretreatment and posttreatment diagnostic workup of all lung carcinoma patients seen in a second referral institution for a province of 500,000 inhabitants during the years 1998 and 1999. Sixty-one patients, strongly suspected of lung carcinoma were photon-scanned; 21 of them were rescanned after completion of their front-line treatment. Eleven patients eventually underwent surgery, and 3 others underwent mediastinoscopy. Both planar and single photoemission computed tomography thoracic views were obtained. Images for the whole body also were acquired.
Results: All 57 patients whose lung carcinoma was pathologically confirmed showed accumulation of the radiotracer (100% sensitivity). However, three of the four nonmalignant lesions were also 99mTC-tetrofosmin positive. 99mTC-tetrofosmin scan was highly sensitive for the detection of the T0-T2 disease (97% sensitivity) and highly specific for the N0-N1 disease (83% specificity). In the 16 pathologically staged mediastina, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy rates were 73%, 100%, and 81%, respectively. 99mTC-tetrofosmin scan correctly detected most skeleton (9 of 10) and brain (5 of 7) metastases. The treatment response evaluation made with 99mTC-tetrofosmin corresponded to the clinical estimate in almost half of the sample.
Conclusions: This study shows that 99mTC-tetrofosmin scan is a relatively accurate method for lung carcinoma evaluation. The authors' preliminary data exclude, however, that noninvasive diagnostic efficiency might be substantially increased by a scintigraphy with 99mTC-tetrofosmin. More studies are needed for a better understanding of the real value of this technique.
Copyright 2002 American Cancer Society.