"Hot spot" on gallium-67-citrate scan in renal cell carcinoma. Clinicopathologic and biochemical correlation

A frontal tomographic whole-body gallium-67-citrate scan was performed on 30 patients with renal cell carcinoma. Positive gallium uptake by the kidney in 20 patients (66.7%) correlated well with the clinicopathologically higher stage and grade of the tumor and with abnormal values in prognostic indexes in the blood. Thus, a negative gallium uptake may be indicative of an improved clinical course and longer survival in patients with renal cell carcinoma.