Radiolabeled antibody imaging of patients with potentially resectable colorectal adenocarcinoma

Thirty-two patients with potentially resectable recurrent colorectal adenocarcinoma were imaged with the radioimmunoconjugate 111In-satumomab pendetide to determine whether imaging supplies clinically relevant information relating to the extent of disease in patients with different presenting characteristics. Patients included 12 with increasing carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) without anatomical evidence of recurrence, 13 with radiological abnormalities consistent with apparently isolated metastases, and 7 with recurrence and anatomical abnormalities of unclear significance. 111In-satumomab pendetide imaging detected extrahepatic abdominal and pelvic disease in 16 subjects. Imaging was most informative in patients with recurrent disease and anatomical abnormalities of unclear significance, but imaging of the liver was suboptimal owing to high levels of nonspecific uptake. We conclude 111In-satumomab pendetide imaging can supply clinically relevant information relating to the extent and location of recurrent colorectal adenocarcinoma in patients with extrahepatic abdominal and pelvic radiological abnormalities of unclear significance and in radiologically normal patients with high CEA levels.