Radiopharmaceuticals for sentinel node detection

Imaging of sentinel nodes is a valuable technique in the management of some types of cancer. Several different radiopharmaceuticals have been successfully employed in the technique, but there have been few systematic studies to examine the relationship between physicochemical properties of the radiopharmaceuticals used and in-vivo performance. The present study describes the preparation and characterisation of radiocolloids of similar chemical composition but differing in particle size distribution in an attempt to identify the role of variations in the single parameter of size

Antibody conjugate radioimmunotherapy of superficial bladder cancer

The administration of antibody conjugates for cancer therapy is now proving to be of clinical value. We are currently undertaking a programme of clinical studies using the monoclonal antibody C595 (IgG3) which reacts with the MUC1 glycoprotein antigen that is aberrantly expressed in a high proportion of bladder tumours. Radioimmunoconjugates of the C595 antibody have been produced with high radiolabelling efficiency and immunoreactivity using Tc-99m and In-111 for diagnostic imaging, and disease staging and the cytotoxic radionuclides Cu-67 and Re-188 for therapy of superficial bladder cancer. A Phase I/II therapeutic trail involving the intravesical administration of antibody directly into the bladder has now begun