SOMATOSTATIN-RECEPTOR SCINTIGRAPHY METHOD S - INDICATIONS - RESULTS

Somatostatin-receptor scintigraphy has been in clinical use for severa l years, Most of the experience with somatostatin tumor scintigraphy h as been obtained with gastro-enteropathic (GEP) tumors and carcinoids, Clinical applications of somatostatin imaging have been reported in s mall-cell lung carcinomas, malignant lymphomas, renal-cell cancers and cancers, Somatostatin analogues were initially applicable in larger m edical institutions because of the necessity for radioactive labeling with iodine (octreotide to [I-123-Tyr(3)]-octreotide); however, the cl inical results with iodinated analogues were worse than the relatively new analogue [In-111-DTPA-D-Phe(1)]octreotide, now available as Octre oscan(R). This review describes the current status of the clinical app lication of somatostatin receptor imaging, together with our own exper ience in carcinoids, GEP tumors and medullary thyroid carcinomas.