Critical evaluation of the gallium-67 scan for surgical patients with lung cancer

Journal Article · Mon Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1985 · Chest; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.87.4.428· OSTI ID:5568568

McKenna, Jr, R J; Haynie, T P; Libshitz, H I; Mountain, C F; McMurtrey, M J

Seventy-five patients with lung cancer underwent a gallium scan and thoracotomy with total mediastinal nodal dissection. Evaluation of mediastinal lymph nodes by means of the gallium scan showed a sensitivity of 23 percent (3/13), a specificity of 82 percent (31/38), an accuracy of 67 percent (34/51), a positive predictive valve of 30 percent (3/10), and a negative predictive value of 76 percent (31/41) in those patients whose primary tumors demonstrated uptake of radioactive gallium. The low sensitivity was due to an inability to detect microscopic disease in mediastinal lymph nodes. The specificity was decreased by gallium-67 uptake in enlarged inflamed nodes that contained no metastases. These results do not support the use of the gallium scan in the selection of patients with lung cancer for thoracotomy.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Texas M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute, Houston
• OSTI ID: 5568568
• Journal Information: Chest; (United States), Journal Name: Chest; (United States) Vol. 87:4; ISSN CHETB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550600 -- Medicine
550601* -- Medicine-- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BODY
BODY AREAS
CHEST
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DISEASES
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
EVALUATION
GALLIUM 67
GALLIUM ISOTOPES
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
LUNGS
LYMPH NODES
LYMPHATIC SYSTEM
MEDIASTINUM
MEDICINE
METASTASES
NEOPLASMS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANS
PATIENTS
RADIOISOTOPE SCANNING
RADIOISOTOPES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
SURGERY