Bleomycin as carrier substance for 99m-Technetium in tumour diagnosis (author's transl)

99m-Tc-Bleomycin is a promising tool for scintigraphic imaging of some types of malignant tumours. The rapid decay of 99m-Tc, together with a high affinity of bleomycin for certain histologically-defined tumours recommends its use in humans. Moreover, by using high specific activities of bleomycin, no toxic effects are to be expected. At 00-C, the chelate of 99m-Tc and bleomycin is stable and its storage or transport are recommended at this temperature. Following the i.v. injection of rats with 99m-Tc-bleomycin, a high specific activity is found in the liver, spleen, lungs and skin. In view of its excretion by the kidneys an extremely high activity is found in the urogenital system. Scintigraphic imaging of lymph nodes in a case of Hodgkin's disease, of a embryonal carcinoma, of a thyroid carcinoma, of an astrocytoma and of a solid carcinoma was obtained in patients investigated by this method.