The gallium‐67 scan in clinical assessment of cancer

Abstract

AbstractBy 1 April 1973, 770 patients with malignancy were studied using Gallium‐67 (67Ga) citrate radioisotopic scanning at the Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health. Of these, 21 had brain tumors, 19 (90%) of which concentrated 67Ga. Forty‐four patients with melanoma had 54% of proven sites visualized on 67Ga scan (masses larger than 2 cm were detected in 75% of the sites). Ewing's sarcoma was studied in 15 patients with 67Ga scanning and all 15 primary tumors were visualized. Thirty‐two of 43 scans performed on 30 patients with acute leukemia were abnormal. Sites of leukemic involvement in bone marrow and as myeloblastomas in soft tissue contained high levels of 67Ga. Patients with untreated Hodgkin's disease were abnormal in 90% of cases on 67Ga scan with 70% of proven sites of involvement being detectable. Sixty percent of non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma sites were detected on 67Ga scans. Approximately 85% of anatomic sites involved with lung cancer were detected on scan. 67Ga citrate whole body scanning has proven to be useful in diagnosing and staging a wide variety of human tumors. The 67Ga study is most reliable when positive findings are recorded, but should be approached with caution when the findings are negative.