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For patients with advanced prostate cancer efficient therapy of painful bony lesions is the primary goal of interdisciplinary treatment strategies. Preservation of quality of life appears to be the main aim rather than prolongation of life. Apart from oral pain relief and local irradiation systemic treatment with radionuclides offers low-risk radiotherapeutic strategies for the palliation of painful, multifocal osteoplastic bone metastases. Depending on the radiopharmaceutical substance chosen response and reduction of pain are described in 65-80%. The duration of pain relief lasts between 6-12 weeks. During this time the morphine based medication can be reduced and in some cases withdrawn which positively effects quality of life. After improvement of myelosuppression treatment with radionuclides can be repeated. Patients have to be hospitalized for two days because of protection from radiation procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: In recent years, various professional societies published guidelines for diagnostic evaluation of thyroid nodules, in which the indication for scintigraphy is restricted to patients with subnormal TSH values. It is seen controversial whether such recommendations should be transferred to Germany, partly because of lower iodine intake in this country and the consequent higher percentage of autonomous thyroid nodules, which are not accompanied by a measurable dysfunction. Since reliable data to this topic are scarce, we analyzed multicentrically the spectrum of scintigraphically "hot" and "warm" nodules under the current epidemiological conditions., Patients, Methods: In 10 German nuclear medicine out-patient institutions we evaluated the diagnostic data from a total of 514 patients, in whom unequivocally hyperfunctional nodules (focal increased uptake in comparison to perinodular tissue with a sonographically nodular correlative ≥1 cm) could be detected by (99m)Tc-pertechnetate scintigraphy. To minimize selection bias, the surveys were not carried out in hospitals.The recorded parameters included the thyroid hormone levels, the global (99m)Tc-uptake (TcTU), the size of each nodule and the total autonomous nodular volume (V(aut))., Results: Only 20% of the patients with "hot" nodules had subnormal TSH levels (<0.1 to 0.33 mU / l), the remaining patients had TSH levels from 0.34 to 3.5 mU /l (in one third of the patients TSH levels even exceeded 1.0 mU/l). Moreover, we found no relevant correlation between TSH and TcTU or V(aut)., Conclusions: In Germany, in at far the largest proportion of patients with autonomous thyroid nodules objectified by means of scintigraphy, TSH levels are within the normal range. Since such nodules with maximum safety can be classified as benign, a corresponding scintigraphic finding has a high priority for the patient. These current data support that it is not reasonable to restrict scintigraphy to patients with subnormal TSH values in this country.

There is increasing evidence that (18)FDG-PET is not useful for the imaging of primary prostate cancer. The aim of this examination was to prove whether or not these poor results are due to technical deficiencies of the examination method like older image reconstruction techniques, extensive (18)FDG-tracer activity in the bladder or improper contrast staining of the rectum. We examined three patients with primary prostate cancer using a modern combined PET/CT system, continuous irrigation of the bladder and an air-inflated rectal balloon catheter. PET/CT images show an exact depiction of both the prostate and all surrounding anatomic structures but no enhanced uptake of radiotracer in the tumour. Therefore, the mentioned poor results of (18)FDG-PET seem not to be due to technical deficiencies.

Purpose: To evaluate the diagnostic impact of positron emission tomography (PET) with fluorine-18-labeled deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) combined with non-contrast computed tomography (CT) as PET-CT modality in restaging colorectal cancer patients., Material and Methods: In this retrospective study, 29 consecutive patients with histologically proven colorectal cancer (17 female, 12 male, aged 51-76 years) underwent whole body scans in one session on a dual modality PET-CT system (Siemens Biograph) 90 min. after i.v. administration of 370 MBq 18F-FDG. The CT imaging was performed with 40 mAs, 130 kV, slice-thickness 5 mm and without i.v. contrast administration. PET and CT images were reconstructed with a slice-thickness of 5 mm in coronal, sagittal and transverse planes. During a first step of analysis, PET and CT images were scored blinded and independently by a group of two nuclear medicine physicians and a group of two radiologists, respectively. For this purpose, a five-point-scale was used. The second step of data-analysis consisted of a consensus reading by both groups. During the consensus reading, first a virtual (meaning mental) fusion of PET and CT images and afterwards the "real" fusion (meaning coregistered) PET-CT images were also scored with the same scale. The imaging results were compared with histopathology findings and the course of disease during further follow-up., Results: The total number of malignant lesions detected with the combined PET/CT were 86. For FDG-PET alone it was n = 68, and for CT alone n = 65. Comparing PET-CT and PET, concordance was found in 81 of 104 lesions. Discrepancies predominantly occurred in the lung, where PET alone often showed true positive results in lymph nodes and soft tissue masses, where CT often was false negative. Comparing mental fusion and "real" co-registered images, concordance was found in 94 of 104 lesions. In 13 lesions or, respectively, in 7 of 29 patients, a relevant information was gathered using fused images., Conclusion: Combined PET/CT leads to greater accuracy in the interpretation of data and is a valuable tool for diagnosis and anatomic localization of metastases in colorectal cancer patients.

Aim: The radiation exposure in radiation synovectomy was investigated for technician and therapist using Erbium-169, Rhenium-186 and Yttrium-90 with and without syringe shieldings., Methods: Dose rates were measured in relation to the distance of the syringe containing the radionuclide. Measurements were repeated using syringe shieldings which consist of plastic surrounded by a lead layer., Results: The most relevant radiation exposure arises from Yttrium-90. Using syringe shieldings radiation exposure can be reduced by a factor of thousand., Conclusion: This kind of radiological protection is completely sufficient for the therapist. Concerning the technician preparing the radiopharmaceutics, the limit of the official German dosimetry service (500 mSv) might be exceeded if no special radiological protection is established. Thus, special dosimetry is recommended.

For patients with advanced prostate cancer efficient therapy of painful bony lesions is the primary goal of interdisciplinary treatment strategies. Preservation of quality of life appears to be the main aim rather than prolongation of life. Apart from oral pain relief and local irradiation systemic treatment with radionuclides offers low-risk radiotherapeutic strategies for the palliation of painful, multifocal osteoplastic bone metastases. Depending on the radiopharmaceutical substance chosen response and reduction of pain are described in 65-80%. The duration of pain relief lasts between 6-12 weeks. During this time the morphine based medication can be reduced and in some cases withdrawn which positively effects quality of life. After improvement of myelosuppression treatment with radionuclides can be repeated. Patients have to be hospitalized for two days because of protection from radiation procedures.

In the European multicenter trial 246 female patients with suspicious mammographic result and/or breast mass were studied. In 253 lesions (195 palpable, 58 non-palpable) 165 malignant and 88 benign results were obtained histologically. All scans were evaluated centrally and institutionally. Central evaluation (per lesion) resulted in a sensitivity of 71% and a specificity of 69%. For palpable lesions, sensitivity was 83% in the central read and 91% in the institutional read. No difference was observed between invasive ductal and invasive lobular carcinoma. X-ray density had no influence on scintigraphic sensitivity. Sensitivity and specificity of mammography were 91% and 42%, respectively.

Therapeutic means for patients with disseminated painful bone metastases in breast cancer are strongly limited. There is a big need of an effective and well tolerated therapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of rhenium-186 HEDP for pain palliation in patients with bone metastases in breast cancer. 17 patients with painful bone metastases taking analgesics received one or more injections of 1295 MB9 rhenium-186 HEDP. In 59% of the patients the therapy resulted in a significant reduction of pain. The duration of pain relief partially hold on up to nine weeks. The main side effects of therapy were a short decrease of platelets and leucocytes and an increase of pain for 1-2 days. As conclusion we found out that therapy with rhenium-186 HEDP can be used complementarily to analgesic therapy and radiation in patients with painful disseminated bone metastases in breast cancer.

Aim: Therapeutic means for patients with painful bony metastases are strongly limited. In these patients, a systemic therapy with isotopes can be helpful. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of rhenium-186 HEDP for pain palliation in patients with disseminated bone metastases., Methods: 30 patients taking analgesics because of bone pain received one or more injection of 1295 MBq 186Re HEDP for pain palliation., Results: In 70% of the patients, therapy resulted in a significant reduction of pain. The average duration of pain relief was 4 weeks (1 week-2.5 months). The main side effects of therapy were a decrease of platelets (aver. 30000/microliters) and an increase of pain for 1-2 days (flare-phenomenon)., Conclusion: Therapy with rhenium-186 HEDP can be used complementarily to analgesic therapy in patients with painful, disseminated bone metastases.