The application of 67Ga scanning in determining the operability of bronchogenic carcinoma

In a prospective study of 34 patients with histologically proven bronchogenic carcinoma, 67Ga scanning of the chest was used to screen for mediastinal involvement. Mediastinal scans and pathologic findings were in agreement in 27 patients. Two patients had false-negative scans and 5 had positive scans but no evidence of mediastinal tumor. These results indicate a sensitivity of 89%, a specificity of 66.6%, an accuracy of 77% for positive scans, and an accuracy of 83% for negative scans. Overall correlation between 67Ga scanning of the chest and mediastinal-tumor involvement is statistically significant (P = 0.003).