ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of scintigraphy with (99m)Tc-depreotide in the staging of lung cancer, especially in cases where CT findings are doubtful. METHODS: 53 patients with suspected lung cancer were investigated with whole body planar acquisition and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) of the thorax after i.v. injection of 740 MBq (99m)Tc-depreotide (Neospect). The results were compared with CT and correlated with histological findings. RESULTS: In 50 of 53 patients the biopsy was positive for bronchogenic carcinoma (31 patients with non small cell lung cancer [NSCLC], 18 with small cell lung cancer (SCLC), and 1 patient with neuroendocrine cancer). In the remaining 3, biopsy revealed no bronchogenic carcinoma (3 patients with inflammation). In 2/31 patients with NSCLC and doubtful CT findings, uptake of (99m)Tc-depreotide was the only non invasive reliable staging method. CONCLUSION: It seems that scintigraphy with (99m)Tc-depreotide in patients with SCLC does not change the tumor stage, whereas in NSCLC the contribution of Neospect in lung cancer staging may be a helpful tool, especially in cases where CT alone is unable to distinguish between IIIA and IIIB stages (operable from non operable status).
