Immunolymphoscintigraphy for the detection of lymph node metastases from breast cancer

Journal Article · Wed Mar 15 04:00:00 EST 1989 · Cancer Res.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6100087

Tjandra, J J; Russell, I S; Collins, J P; Andrews, J T; Lichtenstein, M; Binns, D; McKenzie, I F

The presence of metastases in the regional lymph nodes is the major prognostic factor in breast cancer in the absence of overt distant metastases and is also an important indicator of the need for adjuvant therapy in ''early'' breast cancer. Currently, the accurate assessment of axillary lymph node status requires axillary dissection which has an associated morbidity. An alternative method of identifying patients who are ''node positive'' has been developed by means of immunolymphoscintigraphy with s.c. administered radioiodinated monoclonal antibody. The /sup 131/I-labeled anti-breast cancer antibody (RCC-1; 400 micrograms) and cold iodine-labeled blocking antibody (Ly-2.1; 2 mg which is nonreactive with breast cancer) were injected s.c. into both arms and scintigraphy images were obtained 16-18 h after the injection, using the axilla contralateral to the side of the breast cancer as the control. Studies were reported as positive if the amount of background-subtracted radioactive count in the axilla of interest exceeded the normal side by a radio equal to or greater than 1.5:1.0 as assessed by computer analysis. In 38 of 40 patients the findings on scintigraphy were correlated with operative and histopathological findings on the axillary dissection specimen or cytological findings of fine needle aspiration of axillary lymph nodes. In a prospective study of 26 patients, the method is more sensitive (86%) and specific (92%) than preoperative clinical assessment (57% sensitivity, 58% specificity) in the detection of axillary lymph node metastases; and by combining both modalities of assessment, there was an improvement in the sensitivity (100%) but a deterioration in the specificity (50%).

• Research Organization: Univ. of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria (Australia)
• OSTI ID: 6100087
• Journal Information: Cancer Res.; (United States), Journal Name: Cancer Res.; (United States) Vol. 49:6; ISSN CNREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550601* -- Medicine-- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ANTIBODIES
ANTIGENS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BODY
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DIAGNOSIS
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DISEASES
GLANDS
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
IODINE 131
IODINE ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LYMPH NODES
LYMPHATIC SYSTEM
MAMMARY GLANDS
METASTASES
MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES
NEOPLASMS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANS
PATIENTS
RADIOIMMUNOSCINTIGRAPHY
RADIOISOTOPE SCANNING
RADIOISOTOPES
SCINTISCANNING
SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS