Use of ¹¹¹In-DTPA-octreotide scintigraphy in the diagnosis of neuroendocrine and non-neuroendocrine tumors of the lung. Preliminary results

Background. The authors report their preliminary experience and results of the use of ¹¹¹In-DTPA-octreotide scintigraphy (octreoscan) in the staging of neuroendocrine and non-neuroendocrine tumors of the lung. Materials and methods. From July 1995 to May 1996 twenty-six scintigraphic studies were performed in patients affected by lung cancer at the Department of Thoracic Surgery and at the Service of Nuclear Medicine of the University of Turin. Results. Scintigraphy made it possible to detect the lesion in all the patients affected by neuroendocrine tumors and in 63.2% of the patients affected by non-neuroendocrine neoplasm of the lung. Scintigraphy also revealed mediastinal lymphnodal metastases in patients in which thoracic CT scan was negative: this result was confirmed by postoperative TNM. Conclusions. The authors stress the importance of ¹¹¹In-DTPA-octreotide scintigraphy in a correct procedure of staging of neuroendocrine and non-neuroendocrine tumors of the lung and in the follow-up of neoplastic patients.