Noninvasive staging of lung cancer. Indications and limitations of gallium-67 citrate imaging
- Univ. of Illinois, Chicago (USA)
The results of evaluation of the hila and mediastinum with 67Ga scans are contradictory, as are the recommendations by different investigators on the use of 67Ga scintigraphy in the clinical evaluation of patients with primary lung carcinoma. Nevertheless, the economy and logistic simplicity of evaluating local and distant metastases with a single imaging procedure are attractive, especially because the symptoms may not enable the physician to make a correct identification of the organ systems affected by metastases. Neumann and Hoffer state that at present conventional Ga-67 scanning techniques cannot be recommended for preoperative staging of mediastinal lymph node metastases in lung cancer patients. According to Waxman, 67Ga scintigraphy, relative to other imaging modalities, is a sensitive indicator of hilar spread of a tumor. However, because of the normally high background activity within the sternum and spine, mediastinal abnormalities may be poorly detected. Since most pulmonary tumors metastasize via regional nodes to the pulmonary hilum and then to the mediastinum, the high sensitivity for the detection of pulmonary hilar abnormalities and the high specificity for detection of mediastinal lesions suggest that gallium scintigraphy is a valuable adjunctive test when used appropriately. The results obtained locally are probably the best guide for individual physicians in the selection of diagnostic tests for their patients. Gallium scans may thus be helpful in the clinical evaluation of patients with lung cancer. Although gallium scans identify mediastinal node involvement, there is considerable controversy over the relationship between the sensitivity and specificity of the method. By detecting distant extrathoracic metastases, the 67Ga scan may identify a small group of patients who can be spared a needless operation. 92 references.
- OSTI ID:
- 6809801
- Journal Information:
- Radiologic Clinics of North America; (USA), Journal Name: Radiologic Clinics of North America; (USA) Vol. 28:3; ISSN 0033-8389; ISSN RCNAA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ANIMALS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BODY
CARBOXYLIC ACID SALTS
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CITRATES
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DIAGNOSIS
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DISEASES
DOCUMENT TYPES
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
GALLIUM 67
GALLIUM ISOTOPES
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
LUNGS
MAMMALS
MAN
METASTASES
NEOPLASMS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANS
PATIENTS
PRIMATES
RADIOISOTOPE SCANNING
RADIOISOTOPES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
REVIEWS
SCINTISCANNING
SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS
SPECIFICITY
VERTEBRATES