Radioimmunoguided surgery benefits for recurrent colorectal cancer

• Published in: Annals of surgical oncology 1997-07, Vol.4 (5), p.371-376
• Main Authors: Schneebaum, S, Papo, J, Graif, M, Baratz, M, Baron, J, Skornik, Y
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abdominal Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Abdominal Neoplasms - secondary; Abdominal Neoplasms - surgery; Antibodies; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Carcinoembryonic antigen; Carcinoembryonic Antigen - immunology; Colon cancer; Colorectal cancer; Colorectal carcinoma; Colorectal Neoplasms - pathology; Computed tomography; Guanosine diphosphate; Humans; Intraoperative Period; Iodine Radioisotopes; Liver Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Liver Neoplasms - secondary; Liver Neoplasms - surgery; Localization; Lymph Node Excision; Lymphatic Metastasis - diagnostic imaging; Monoclonal antibodies; Pelvic Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Pelvic Neoplasms - secondary; Pelvic Neoplasms - surgery; Radioimmunodetection; Scintigraphy; Sensitivity and Specificity; Surgery; Ultrasound
• ISSN: 1068-9265; 1534-4681
• DOI: 10.1007/BF02305548

Despite new adjuvant therapy, 50% of patients with colon cancer will have recurrent disease. This study investigated the use of a radiolabeled monoclonal antibody in locating occult tumor during surgery for recurrent colorectal cancer. Twenty-two patients with recurrent colorectal cancer underwent surgery using the radioimmunoguided surgery (RIGS) system. All patients were subjected to abdominal and chest computed tomography (CT). Before surgery, patients were injected with the CC49 monoclonal antibody (MoAb), anti-TAG antibody labeled with 125I. Ten patients with elevated carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels and no CT findings had a scintigraphy scan with an anti-CEA MoAb labeled with 99Tc. Human antimouse antibody levels of these patients were within normal limits. Surgical exploration including liver ultrasound examination was followed by survey with a gamma-detecting probe (GDP). There was MoAb tumor localization in 100% of the patients. CT found nine tumor sites, traditional surgical exploration 30, and the GDP 51, with 44 confirmed by pathology (hematoxylin and eosin). The RIGS system found occult tumor in 10 patients (45.4%) and resulted in major changes in surgical procedure in 11 patients. In the 10 patients who had scintigraphy scans, 10 tumor sites were identified, whereas RIGS found an additional eight sites. RIGS technology offers a substantial benefit for patients undergoing surgery for recurrent colorectal cancer and a better chance of finding recurrent tumor intraoperatively in patients who have elevated CEA levels with no other CT findings.