U. Prati et al., RADIOIMMUNOASSISTED FOLLOW-UP AND SURGERY VS TRADITIONAL EXAMINATIONSAND SURGERY AFTER RADICAL EXCISION OF COLORECTAL-CANCER, Anticancer research, 15(3), 1995, pp. 1081-1085
The authors report their experience in the radioimmunodetection of rec
urrent colorectal cancer in comparison with traditional examinations.
485 patients were studied after radical surgery for colorectal cancer:
168 (group 1) were studied with a radioimmunoassisted follow-up plan
including: Immunoscintigraphy (IS), serum markers assays, Radioimmunog
uided Endoscopy (RIGE), Intraoperative Radioimmuno-localization (IORIL
) in case of reoperation; 317 (Group 2) underwent a protocol with trad
itional examination. In 24 patients of Group U IS was performed even a
t the time of their admission for primary cancer. 7 patients underwent
RIGE for primary cancer and 16 in the follow-up. IORIL was performed
in 12 patients with primary cancer and in 16 in the course of reoperat
ion. The radioimmuno-diagnostic methods were performed after a single
administration of the radiolabeled MAb (111In F(ab')2 a-CEA and 111In
B72.3). The radioimmunoassisted follow-up plan detected a greater numb
er of recurrences than traditional examinations (27% vs 13%). The rate
s of radical reoperatin in Group 1 and 2 were 61% and 37% respectively
. 33% of the patients of group 2 were alive 24 months after radical re
operation vs 62.5% of the patients of Group 1. Immunoscintigraphy demo
nstrated a good sensitivity and specificity, mainly in the detection o
f pelvic recurrences (sens. 92%, spec. 84%). The radioimmunoassisted f
ollow-up plan was well accepted by the patients management. IORIL dete
cted minimal tumor foci (2 mm.) where pre and intraoperative study wer
e negative, while the histopathologic examination gave evidence of tum
or. Considering that the costs of the radioimmunodiagnostic methods an
d of traditional examinations are very similar, we can conclude that t
he radioimmunoassisted follow-up plan has a favorable cost/benefit rat
e and a remarkable impact on the treatment of patients with colorectal
cancer.