Current aspects of nuclear imaging in clinical oncology

This presentation will focus on the recent developments in nuclear medicine that relate to diagnosis and staging in the cancer patient. The commercial availability of new Agar cameras as well as longitudinal tomographic scanning devices has improved gallium imaging significantly. This has enhanced tumor detection and resulted in better use of gallium scanning in the cancer patient. Areas of controversy have also developed. In particular, the question of whether or not the gallium scan can be used to avoid mediastinoscopy in some case of bronchogenic carcinoma will be detailed. Techniques in nuclear medicine must be carefully integrated with other noninvasive investigation such as CT and ultrasound. At Yale, the authors have gathered considerable data indicating the best way to interact nuclear medicine radionuclide scintigraphy of the liver with the ultrasound examination. Our approach to this problem for the detection of focal disease in the liver will be discussed. 99mTc-HIDA has been proven useful in a wide variety of biliary disorders. Use of scintigraphy in the evaluation of cholangio-enteric bypass procedures in the cancer patient will be reviewed.