Evaluation of patients with head and neck cancer by means of 99mTc-glucarate

J Nucl Med Technol. 2009 Dec;37(4):229-32. doi: 10.2967/jnmt.109.062927.

Abstract

Preliminary findings have suggested that (99m)Tc-glucarate has tumor-seeking properties. The purpose of this study was to explore the potential of this tracer to evaluate malignant head and neck tumors by means of SPECT/CT software fusion imaging.

Methods: Eleven male patients with advanced head and neck carcinoma were included in the study: 9 with locally advanced disease and 2 with clinical suspicion of local relapse. Scanning started 3-6 h after the injection of 1,110 MBq of (99m)Tc-glucarate. Planar and SPECT images of the head, neck, and thorax were acquired. Three-dimensional images were also coregistered with CT.

Results: We found (99m)Tc-glucarate uptake in all suspected lesions. SPECT/CT fusion imaging was helpful in all cases for topographically localizing the tracer foci.

Conclusion: (99m)Tc-glucarate can be considered a potential tracer for the evaluation of patients with head and neck tumors.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Glucaric Acid / analogs & derivatives*
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Humans
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Organotechnetium Compounds*
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Software
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Substances

  • Organotechnetium Compounds
  • technetium Tc 99m glucarate
  • Glucaric Acid