SEQUENTIAL FUNCTIONAL IMAGING WITH TC-99M HEXAKIS-2-METHOXYISOBUTYLISONITRILE AND IN-111 OCTREOTIDE - CAN WE PREDICT THE RESPONSE TO CHEMOTHERAPY IN SMALL-CELL LUNG-CANCER

A case of small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) demonstrating uptake on fun ctional indium-lll octreotide scintigraphy is presented, Technetium-99 m hexakis-2-methoxyisobutylisonitrile (MIBI) scintigraphy clearly deli neated an absence of radionuclide uptake at the tumour site. This sugg ested the presence of multidrug resistance-mediated P glycoprotein (Pg p) on tumour cells, which recognizes certain chemotherapeutic agents a s well as MIBI as a substrate and avoids radionuclide concentration. F ollowing three courses of chemotherapy, the patient failed to improve and eventually died. This case demonstrates the importance of function al images, which have the potential to predict the outcome in response to chemotherapy.