Radioimmunodetection: technical problems and methods of improvement

Radioimmunodetection (RAID) is a technique which uses radiolabelled antibod ies to visualize tumours, taking advantage of antigens preferentially expre ssed by malignant tissue. Gamma radiation emitted by radioisotopes can be d etected using an external gamma camera (RAID), or intraoperatively with a h and-held Geiger counter (radioimmunoguided surgery, RIGS). RAID has signifi cant inherent problems, Many have been overcome as a result of nearly 50 ye ars of research, and others still remain as obstacles precluding the routin e use of the technique. This article summarizes the technical limitations o f RAID and outlines the relative successes of the methods evolved to overco me them.