RADIOIMMUNOLYMPHOSCINTIGRAPHY IN THE PREOPERATIVE STAGING OF PRIMARY BREAST-CANCER - A PILOT-STUDY USING A HUMAN MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODY (LILO-16.88)

Thirty-one primary breast cancer patients were evaluated by radioimmun olymphoscintigraphy (RILS) and ex vivo scintigraphy (EVS) following su bcutaneous injection of human monoclonal antibody In-111-LiLo-16.88. L ymph nodes (370) were assessed by EVS, pathology and immunohistochemis try. The positive predictive value (EVS) for antigen positive nodes, m etastatic and hyperplastic, was 90% in stages O-IIB, and the sensitivi ty and specificity for all stages were 60% and 80% respectively. Four EVS positive nodes with follicular hyperplasia contained micrometastas es. RILS and EVS correlate well by the Spearman Rank test (R=0.87). Th ese results suggest RILS may be clinically useful and selectively limi t the extent of the surgical procedure.