Somatostatin receptors on neuroendocrine tumors--a way to intraoperative diagnosis and localization.

Intraoperative radionuclide detection using 111In-DTPA-D-Phe1-octreotide was evaluated in five patients with midgut carcinoids and in three patients with recurrent medullary thyroid carcinoma. Three different time intervals (24, 48 and 120 hr) from injection of the radiopharmaceutical to surgery were used. At surgery, suspect tumors were measured by probe in situ and ex vivo after excision. All tissue specimens and blood samples withdrawn during surgery were measured for 111In activity, and tissue/blood activity concentration ratios were calculated. In situ measurements were valuable especially in neck surgery, where the probe was helpful not only in localization of tumors but also in the control of tumor clearance. Ex vivo measurements were helpful in diagnosing tumor tissue. All five patients with midgut carcinoids were somatostatin receptor-positive, while only three out of seven patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma were receptor-positive. The tissue/blood activity concentration ratios and probe measurement ratios were in general higher in patients with midgut carcinoid than in patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma. Of particular interest were the high tissue/blood concentration ratios in all receptor-positive patients at all time intervals studied. This fact suggests a potential role for radiolabelled octreotide in radiotherapy of these tumor types.