Thallium-201 SPECT for pulmonary tumors

Abstract

This study was undertaken to examine the ability of SPECT in differentiation of a pulmonary lesion suspecions of lung cancr. A total of 170 patients with suspected lung cancer were studied. A dose of Tl-201 chloride {148-296 MBq) was injected intravenously and tomographic early and delayed scans were obtained at 15 miniutes and 3 hours post injection, respectively. Delayed Tl-201 SPECT visulized all of the 147 malignant pulmonary lesions which were clearer than those obtained by the early SPECT. Tl-201 SPECT seems to be a useful method for assessing pulmonary tumors and it offeres the retention index useful for differentiating malignant from benign lesions, and mediastinal involvement from lung cancer.