Prostate cancer abdominal metastases detected with indium-111 capromab pendetide

To provide appropriate therapy for prostate cancer, accurate staging of the patient's disease is essential. Determination of tumor size, location, periprostatic extension and metastatic disease in the skeleton and soft tissue are needed to stage properly. Current diagnostic modalities may lead to understaging in 40%-70% of prostate cancer. Detection of metastatic disease, both at the time of initial diagnosis and in patients with suspected local recurrence, can significantly alter the type of therapy given. Clinical studies using the (111)In radiolabeled immunoconjugate, MAb 7E11-C5.3-GYK-DTPA (capromab pendetide), have shown the superiority of radioimmunoscintigraphy over other diagnostic modalities in the detection of both primary and metastatic prostate cancer. Radioimmunoscintigraphy with capromab pendetide depends on expression of tumor-associated antigen rather than lesion size. Earlier detection of extraprostatic invasion and metastases by means of radioimmunoscintigraphy provides valuable information for treatment decisions. A case of metastatic prostate cancer in the abdomen of a patient without local disease, in which the extent of disease was confirmed at autopsy after sudden cardiac arrest, is presented.