Background
Νeuroendocrine tumors of the lungs are rare arising in the thymus and gastro-entero-pancreatic tract and belonging to foregut of neuroendocrine tumors. The
Conclusion
This study indicates that 99mTc-HYNIC-TOC scintigraphy appears to be a reliable, noninvasive technique for detection of primary neuroendocrine tumors and their locoregional or distant metastases, although it cannot be used as a neuroendocrine tumors of the lungs predictive technique.
Methods
Thirty-six patients with neuroendocrine tumors of the lungs were evaluated by using 99mTc-HYNIC-TOC scintigraphy. The scintigraphic
Results
The number of somatostatin receptors, expressed with Krenning score, did not show any correlation with the survival of patients both at baseline ( P = .08) and at disease progression ( P = .24), and scintigraphy results did not relate significantly to progression-free survival. Comparing the results of 99mTc-HYNIC-TOC scintigraphy according to the response of patients in the initial treatment, a statistically significant negative correlation was observed both in the first and in the second scintigraphy with patients' response ( P = .001 and P < .001, respectively). The concentrations of biochemical markers were in accordance with scintigraphy results in the diagnosis.