ProstaScint

Aetna considers ProstaScint scans medically necessary for either of the following indications:

1. Pre-operative staging of newly diagnosed persons with biopsy-proven prostate cancer that is thought to be clinically localized after standard diagnostic evaluation, but who have a moderate to high probability of occult extra-prostatic metastasis; or
2. Staging of post-prostatectomy persons or persons treated with radiation therapy in whom there is a high suspicion of undetected residual prostate cancer or cancer recurrence.

Aetna considers ProstaScint scans experimental and investigational for all other indications because its effectiveness for indications other than the ones lsited above has not been established.

Oncoscint

Aetna considers monoclonal antibody (MAb) imaging (also known as radioimmunoscintigraphy and Oncoscint immunoscintigraphy) using satumomab pendetide medically necessary for any of the following indications:

1. As an alternative to second-look laparotomy to detect occult colorectal carcinoma in persons with suspected recurrence suggested by an elevated carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA) level, but who have no evidence of disease on conventional imaging modalities (including CT scan); or
2. Detection of occult colorectal carcinoma in persons about to undergo a potentially curative resection of an apparently isolated recurrence located at a single site (e.g., lung or liver) which has been identified on conventional imaging modalities (including CT scan) and for whom the detection of occult lesions elsewhere would alter the surgical management; or
3. Detection of occult recurrent ovarian cancer in persons with suspected recurrence suggested by rising tumor markers, when no other imaging or physical examination technique can locate the suspected disease.

Aetna considers Oncoscint immunoscintigraphy experimental and investigational for all other indications such as any of the following because it has not been established to have a clearly defined role in the management of individuals with these indications:

1. As a screening tool for cancers; or
2. Detection of occult disease in persons who have melanoma, breast cancer, thrombosis, inflammatory disease, lymphoma, or prostate cancer because there are insufficient scientific data to document the clinical utility of Oncoscint immunoscintigraphy in the management of persons with these conditions; or 
3. In other colorectal cancer persons not meeting criteria #1 or #2 above (for instance, post-operative colorectal cancer persons with rising serum CEA levels and negative standard imaging and other studies.

CEA-Scan

Aetna considers CEA-Scan® using Tc-99m-arcitumomab, a radiodiagnostic agent produced by Immunomedics, for use in conjunction with computerized tomography (CT) scans medically necessary for detection of recurrent or metastatic colorectal cancer in the liver and extra-hepatic abdomen and pelvis.  Aetna considers the CEA-scan experimental and investigational for all other indications because its effectiveness for indications other than the ones listed above has not been established.

Technetium-99m-Sestamibi Scintigraphy

Aetna considers technetium-99m-sestamibi (Tc-MIBI) scintigraphy medically necessary for any of the following indications:

1. For assessment malignant bone and soft tissue tumor response to therapy; or
2. For evaluation of metastatic thyroid cancer; or
3. For evaluation of parathyroid adenoma.

Aetna considers technetium-99m-sestamibi scintigraphy experimental and investigational for all other indications such as the following because its role for these indications has not been established:

1. For detection of malignant axillary adenopathy secondary to breast cancer; or
2. For evaluation of central nervous system (CNS) neoplasms; or
3. For imaging of breast cancer (known as Miraluma scan).

OctreoScan

Aetna considers an OctreoScan, using octreotide (Sandostatin) tagged with radiolabeled 111Indium-pentetreotide, medically necessary for the diagnosis and staging of persons with primary and metastatic neuroendocrine tumors bearing somatostatin receptors.  Such tumors include any of the following:

• Carcinoid tumors/carcinoid syndrome
• Gastrinomas
• Glucagonomas
• Hodgkin's lymphoma
• Islet cell tumors of the pancreas
• Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC)
• Meningiomas
• Paragangliomas
• Pheochromocytomas
• Pituitary adenomas
• VIPoma (vasoactive intestinal peptide) -- persons present with Verner-Morrison syndrome: watery diarrhea, hypokalemia and achlorhydria

Aetna considers 111In-pentetreotide (OctreoScan) experimental and investigational for all other indications such as any of the following because the sensitivity and specificity of this test for the following indications has been demonstrated to be inadequate:

• Astrocytomas
• Chemodectomas
• Insulinomas
• Merkel cell tumors
• Neuroblastoma (olfactory, mediastinal)
• Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
• Ocular melanoma
• Sarcoidosis
• Small-cell lung cancer, primary or metastatic
• Thymoma

Radiolabeled Octreotide for Therapeutic Use

Aetna considers radiolabeled octreotide medically necessary for the treatment of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.  The gamma emitting imaging radionuclide (111In-octreotate) is replaced by a beta imaging therapy radionuclide (90Y-octreotide).  Guidelines from the UKNETwork for Neuroendocrine Tumours (Ramage et al, 2005) state that targeted radionuclide therapy, including 90Y-octreotide (also known as 90Y-DOTATOC), is a useful palliative option for symptomatic individuals with inoperable or metastatic gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors where there is corresponding abnormally increased uptake of the corresponding radionuclide imaging agent.

Aetna considers radiolabeled octreotide experimental and investigational for the treatment of incompletely resected meningioma because its effectiveness for this indication has not been established.

Lymphoscintigraphy and Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy

Aetna considers lymphoscintigraphy and sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) medically necessary for persons with malignant melanoma.  In addition, Aetna considers radioactive colloid and/or blue dye identification of the sentinel node in the axilla followed by SLNB medically necessary for persons with breast cancer.  Lymphoscintigraphy and SLNB is considered experimental and investigational for all other indications (e.g., as a screening test in persons with a BRCA mutation, with or without prophylactic mastectomy) because its effectiveness for indications other than the ones listed above has not been established.

Meta-Iodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) Imaging

Aetna considers I-131 labeled meta-iodobenzylguanidine (MIBG, also known as iobenguane I-131) imaging medically necessary for localizing or confirming any of the following conditions:

• Adrenal medulla hyperplasia
• Carcinoid tumors
• Neuroblastoma
• Paraganglioma
• Pheochromocytoma
• Thyroid carcinoma.

Aetna considers I-123 labeled MIBG imaging experimental and investigational in the management of all conditions, such as any of the following, because its value for these indications has not been established:

• Arrhythmia
• Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy
• Cardiomyopathy
• Congestive heart failure (CHF)
• Diabetes mellitus
• Differentiating Parkinson's disease from multiple system atrophy or progressive supranuclear palsy
• Drug-induced cardiotoxicity
• Heart transplantation
• Hypertension
• Idiopathic ventricular fibrillation
• Ischemic heart disease
• Tracking response to medications for members with CHF

Aetna considers I-131 labeled MIBG radiotherapy experimental and investigational as a treatment for neuroblastoma, pheochromocytoma and all other indications because its effectiveness for these indications has not been established.

AndreView

Aetna considers iobenguane I-123 injection (AdreView, GE Healthcare) medically necessary for the detection of primary or metastatic pheochromocytoma or neuroblastoma as an adjunct to other diagnostic tests.  Aetna considers iobenguane I-123 injection experimental and investigational for all other indications because its effectiveness for indications other than the ones listed above has not been established.

Scintimammography and Breast Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI)

Aetna considers scintimammography, including breast-specific gamma imaging (BSGI; also known as molecular breast imaging), experimental and investigational as an adjunct to mammography for imaging of breast tissue, for the detection of axillary metastases, staging the axillary lymph nodes in members with breast cancer, and to assess response to adjuvant chemotherapy in members with breast cancer, and for all other indications because its effectiveness has not been established.

Nuclear imaging is assuming an increasing role in the management of patients with cancer.  Tumor scintigraphy involves the intravenous administration of a radio-pharmaceutical, defined as an isotope attached to a carrier molecule, which localizes in certain tumor tissues and the subsequent imaging and computer acquisition of data.  The goal of tumor scintigraphy is to enable the interpreting physician to detect and evaluate primary, metastatic, or recurrent tumor tissue by producing images of diagnostic quality.  In general, tumor scintigraphy may be used for, but is not limited to, detection of certain primary, metastatic, and recurrent tumors, evaluation of abnormal imaging and non-imaging findings in patients with a history of certain tumors, and reassessment of patients for residual tumor burden after therapy.  Specific clinical applications differ depending upon the specific radiopharmaceutical that is used.

Traditional imaging modalities (CT, MRI) for prostate cancer perform very poorly and bone scanning, although having a high positive predictive value, is insensitive for metastasis and is used only in those patients with a reasonable probability of metastatic disease (e.g., prostate-specific antigen [PSA] greaetr than 10).  The ProstaScint scan uses a monoclonal antibody-based imaging agent (In111-Capromab Pendetide) and was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in patients with biopsy proven prostate cancer in whom there is a high clinical suspicion of occult metastatic disease and who have had a negative or equivocal standard staging evaluation.

Patients with primary colorectal carcinoma undergo an extensive pre-operative staging work-up.  Unfortunately, the accuracy of non-surgical staging techniques (CT or MRI) has been shown to be poor.  Recurrent disease is seen in up to 40 % of patients with Dukes stage B or C colorectal carcinoma, generally within the first 18 months post-operatively.  Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels are used to monitor patients for recurrent disease; however, almost 1/3 of patients with recurrence do not have elevated CEA levels.  Both CT and MRI have been shown to be inadequate in the detection of local or lymph node recurrence.  In regards to ovarian cancer, serum CA-125 levels have been shown to be useful in predicting the presence of ovarian cancer, but negative titers do not preclude malignancy.  In clinical trials, OncoScint has a sensitivity of 70 % versus 44 % for CT, and a specificity of 55 % (79 % for CT) in patients with ovarian cancer.  Carcinomatosis was detectable by antibody imaging in 71 % of patients, but in only 45 % by CT.

Oncoscint is an IgG murine monoclonal antibody that specifically targets the cell surface mucin-like glycoprotein antigen TAG-72, which is commonly found on colorectal and ovarian carcinomas.  It is reported to be reactive with 83 % of colorectal carcinomas and 97 % of ovarian carcinomas.  According to the available literature, a major advantage of Oncoscint is that it allows one to survey the entire body, thus permitting the detection of occult metastases that can have a major impact on tumor staging.  Clinical studies have documented only minimal cross reactivity with other tumors or normal tissues (i.e., the false-positive rate is very low).  Additionally, the results of the Oncoscint exam have been reported to result in a change in patient management in 25 % of cases, and the examination also detected sites of occult disease in 10 % of patients.  Oncoscint can also be used to confirm the absence of other sites of disease prior to surgery.  This is important for the patient about to undergo a potentially curative resection of an isolated recurrence of colorectal carcinoma located in a single site, i.e., lung or liver.

CEA-Scan is a nuclear imaging test which uses a monoclonal antibody fragment (arcitumomab) labeled with technetium 99 that reacts with CEA, a tumor marker for cancer of the colon and rectum.  CEA-Scan can be used to detect recurrent or metastatic colorectal carcinoma in conjunction with standard imaging modalities.  The agent is not indicated as a screening tool for colorectal cancer.  The sensitivity of CEA-Scan has been shown to be superior to conventional imaging modalities in evaluation of the extra-hepatic abdomen (55 % versus 32 %) and pelvis (69 % versus 48 %).  The scan findings are not superior to conventional exams in evaluation of the liver (63 % versus 64 %); however, the findings are often complementary.  Lesion detection is in part related to lesion size, with a sensitivity of 80 % for lesions over 2 cm.  Detection of lesions smaller than 1 cm is 60 %.  CEA-Scan has been shown to have potential clinical benefit in 1/3 of colorectal cancer patients.

Since its introduction, technetium-99m-sestamibi (also known as technetium-99m-MIBI) has been shown to be of value in assessing malignant bone and soft tissue tumor response to therapy.  Technetium-99m-sestamibi (Miraluma) has also been proposed as the radio-pharmaceutical agent for use during scintimammography in the evaluation of women with dense breast tissue and possibly for women who have had partial mastectomy, previous biopsies, radiation therapy or silicone implants.  Although Miraluma may be more sensitive than thallium in the evaluation of breast lesions greater than 1.5 cm in size and was approved in May, 1997 by the FDA for use as a nuclear medicine test to be used in breast imaging, the reported sensitivities and specificities of Miraluma imaging vary based on size and the palpable nature of the finding.  There is a lack of evidence in the medical literature demonstrating an acceptable level of sensitivity and specificity in detecting small, non-palpable breast lesions less than 1.2 cm, with or without microcalcification.  Overall, Miraluma has a sensitivity of 83 to 96 % (average 85 %) and a specificity of 72 to 100 % (average 81 %) for malignancy.  The negative predictive value has been reported to be between 88 to 97 %.  False-positive examinations have been described with fibroadenomas, papillomas, epithelial hyperplasia, and fibrocystic breast disease.  Patients with fibrocystic disease are more likely to have false-positive examinations even though the Miraluma exam has been reported to be unaffected by the density of the breast.  Most false-negative examinations occur with lesions smaller than 1 cm in size or in lesions not palpable.  Studies now indicate that the examinations sensitivity drops to 51 % to 72 % for non-palpable lesions.  And lastly, the available literature shows that Miraluma is not competitive with mammography on either a cost-effective or sensitivity basis in the screening of patients for breast cancer.

All articles regarding Tc-MIBI in the evaluation of breast masses suffer from 2 major drawbacks: (i) the reported results for these studies focuses on a pre-selected patient population resulting in a very high incidence of cancer in the patients sent for the examination.  This suggests a selection bias and sensitivity of the examination is likely over-estimated; and (ii) the mean lesion size is generally over 1.0 to 1.5 cm where mammographic findings can aid in differentiating a benign from a malignant lesion.  Other drawbacks include the lack of an adequately high negative predictive value, which means malignant lesions may be missed, and false positive exams occur in benign lesions such as fibroadenomas.  Since the implications of a missed diagnosis of breast cancer can be disastrous to patient outcome, the available literature states that Miraluma has no role in breast cancer screening to confirm the presence or absence of malignancy (particularly clinically occult abnormalities), and it is not an alternative to biopsy.  Stereotactic and ultrasound guided biopsies of breast lesions are minimally invasive and can provide a definitive diagnosis.  Despite optimism in the nuclear medicine literature, the literature on balance states that this examination probably has no role in the evaluation of patients with suspected breast malignancy.  Determining a subset of women that would benefit from this procedure will be difficult until larger prospective studies have been performed.  Mammography remains the generally accepted standard for screening.  Continued evaluation with diagnostic mammography, ultrasound and surgical biopsy remains the diagnostic work-up that is most frequently recommended.  The Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Science recently concluded that “scintimammography has shown diagnostic potential as an adjunct to mammography, but the technical limitations such as resolution have precluded it from becoming more widely used.  Although it has FDA approval, the current data do not justify its implementation on a standard basis.  Technological improvements and novel radioactive compounds could potentially improve its utility, but at the moment its future is uncertain.  The method also has potential for use in functional imaging applications, but further study and development are needed.”

An assessment prepared for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (Bruening et al, 2006) concluded that scintimammography is not sufficiently accurate to rule out breast cancer in women with abnormal mammograms or physical findings suggestive of breast cancer.  The report found that, for every 1,000 women with negative scintimammogram results, about 907 women would avoid an unnecessary biopsy but 93 women would have missed cancers.

Scintimammography utilizing high-resolution gamma cameras (e.g., Dilon Scan/Dilon 6800 camera, Dilon Technologies, LLC, Newport News, VA), also known as breast-specific gamma imaging (BSGI), has a spatial resolution of less than 4 mm and is being marketed to help identify cancerous breast tissue that is undetected by mammography.  Proponents believe this technology is useful as a complementary tool in the detection of breast cancer in women with difficult to read mammograms, such as those with dense breast tissue, breast implants or scar tissue from previous breast surgery.  According to the advocates of this technology, by operating on a cellular or molecular level, BSGI is not affected by tissue density and can help detect cancers at very early stages and allow for optimal intervention and treatment.  Its ability to accurately detect breast cancer has the potential to significantly reduce the number of unnecessary, invasive biopsies.

Brem and colleagues have published several comparative studies on the use of BSGI for the diagnosis of breast cancer.  In one comparative study, Brem et al (2007) compared the sensitivity of BSGI for the detection of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) with the results obtained with mammography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based on the histopathology of biopsy-proven DCIS.  After injection of technetium 99m-sestamibi, patients had BSGI in craniocaudal and mediolateral oblique projections.  Imaging findings were compared to findings at biopsy or surgical excision.  Breast MRI was performed on 7 patients with 8 biopsy-proven foci.  Pathologic tumor size of the DCIS ranged from 2 to 21 mm (mean of 9.9 mm).  Of 22 cases of biopsy-proven DCIS in 20 women, 91 % were detected with BSGI, 82 % were detected with mammography, and 88 % were detected with MRI.  The authors reported that BSGI had the highest sensitivity for the detection of DCIS, although the small sample size did not demonstrate a statistically significant difference.  Two cases of DCIS (9 %) were diagnosed only after BSGI demonstrated an occult focus of radiotracer uptake in the contralateral breast, previously undetected by mammography and there were 2 false-negative BSGI studies.  In another study, Brem and colleagues (2008) reported the sensitivity and specificity of BSGI for the detection of breast cancer using pathologic results as a reference standard as 96.4 % and 59.5 %, respectively, a positive predictive value of 68 %, and a negative predictive value of 94 % for non-malignant lesions.  The smallest invasive cancer and DCIS detected by BSGI was reported to be 1 mm.

In a retrospective review, Zhou et al (2008) reported the results of BSGI on 176 patients who underwent BSGI evaluation.  A total of 128 patients underwent BSGI because of suspicious imaging, abnormal physical examination, or were considered high risk for breast cancer with dense breasts.  BSGI was positive in 12 of 107 patients with breast imaging reporting and data system (BI-RADS) 1, 2, or 3.  Two of these were cancer.  Of the 21 patients with BI-RADS 4, 18 were BSGI-negative (11 with benign biopsy, 7 observed), and 3 were BSGI-positive with 2 being cancerous.  Forty-eight patients with a new diagnosis of cancer obtained BSGI for further work-up.  It was positive at a new location in 6 cases: 2 cases were new cancers in the contralateral breast, 1 was in the ipsilateral breast, and the remaining 3 had benign pathology.  The authors reported that clinical management was changed significantly in 14.2 % of the 176 patients, with another 6.3 % in whom a negative BSGI could have prevented a biopsy.  The authors concluded,  "Potential roles for BSGI in the current paradigm of breast imaging include screening and diagnosis.  BSGI has the ability to pick up mammography occult breast cancers and can be especially useful in high-risk patients with dense breasts in whom the sensitivity and specificity of mammography suffers significantly.  Another promising use of BSGI could be further evaluation of BI-RADS 4 patients to see if invasive biopsy can be avoided.  A larger series of patients is needed to confirm this hypothesis."

Recent studies of scintimammography utilizing BSIG are promising; however, patient populations were small and focused on a pre-selected patient population resulting in a very high incidence of cancer in the patients sent for examination.  This suggests a selection bias and sensitivity of the examination is likely over-estimated.  In addition, there are no studies that evaluate change in clinical practice if the breast-specific gamma camera was used in stead of, or in addition to, MRI or ultrasound, and its impact on clinical outcomes.  The effectiveness of scintimammography in screening or diagnostic strategies needs to be evaluated in large-scale clinical trials.

The American College of Radiology (ACR) and Society for Pediatric Radiology (SPR)'s practice guideline for the performance of tumor scintigraphy (with gamma cameras) (2010) stated that "[m]ore recently, breast-specific gamma imaging (BSGI) which uses a high-resolution, small-field-of-view gamma camera optimized to image breast tumors has been developed.  Areas of active investigation concerning potential indications include determination of extent of disease in women with newly diagnosed breast cancer, and evaluation of patients with dense breasts.  Additional clinical evidence is needed to assess where BSGI will fit in the imaging algorithm of breast cancer.  When BSGI is performed, the ability to correlate BSGI findings with other breast imaging techniques and a defined protocol for evaluation of abnormalities seen only on BSGI should be in place".

O'Connor and asociates (2010) noted that recent studies have raised concerns about exposure to low-dose ionizing radiation from medical imaging procedures.  Little has been published regarding the relative exposure and risks associated with breast imaging techniques such as BSGI, molecular breast imaging (MBI), or positron emission mammography (PEM).  The purpose of this article was to estimate and compare the risks of radiation-induced cancer from mammography and techniques such as PEM, BSGI, and MBI in a screening environment.  The authors used a common scheme for all estimates of cancer incidence and mortality based on the excess absolute risk model from the BEIR VII report.  The lifetime attributable risk model was used to estimate the lifetime risk of radiation-induced breast cancer incidence and mortality.  All estimates of cancer incidence and mortality were based on a population of 100,000 females followed from birth to age 80 and adjusted for the fraction that survives to various ages between 0 and 80.  Assuming annual screening from ages 40 to 80 and from ages 50 to 80, the cumulative cancer incidence and mortality attributed to digital mammography, screen-film mammography, MBI, BSGI, and PEM was calculated.  The corresponding cancer incidence and mortality from natural background radiation was calculated as a useful reference.  Assuming a 15 % to 32 % reduction in mortality from screening, the benefit/risk ratio for the different imaging modalities was evaluated.  Using conventional doses of 925 MBq Tc-99m sestamibi for MBI and BSGI and 370 MBq F-18 FDG for PEM, the cumulative cancer incidence and mortality were found to be 15 to 30 times higher than digital mammography.  The benefit/risk ratio for annual digital mammography was greater than 50:1 for both the 40 to 80 and 50 to 80 screening groups, but dropped to 3:1 for the 40 to 49 age group.  If the primary use of MBI, BSGI, and PEM is in women with dense breast tissue, then the administered doses need to be in the range 75 to 150 MBq for Tc-99m sestamibi and 35 MBq to 70 MBq for F-18 FDG in order to obtain benefit/risk ratios comparable to those of mammography in these age groups.  These dose ranges should be achievable with enhancements to current technology while maintaining a reasonable examination time.  The authors concluded that the results of the dose estimates in this study clearly indicate that if molecular imaging techniques are to be of value in screening for breast cancer, then the administered doses need to be substantially reduced to better match the effective doses of mammography.

Kim (2011) evaluated the adjunctive benefits of BSGI versus MRI in breast cancer patients with dense breasts.  This study included a total of 66 patients (44.1 +/- 8.2 years) with dense breasts (breast density greater than 50 %) and already biopsy-confirmed breast cancer.  All of the patients underwent BSGI and MRI as part of an adjunct modality before the initial therapy.  Of 66 patients, the 97 undetermined breast lesions were newly detected and correlated with the biopsy results.  Twenty-six of the 97 breast lesions proved to be malignant tumors (invasive ductal cancer, n = 16; DCIS, n = 6; mixed or other malignancies, n = 4); the remaining 71 lesions were diagnosed as benign tumors.  The sensitivity and specificity of BSGI were 88.8 % (confidence interval (CI): 69.8 to 97.6 %) and 90.1 % (CI: 80.7 to 95.9 %), respectively, while the sensitivity and specificity of MRI were 92.3 % (CI: 74.9 to 99.1 %) and 39.4 % (CI: 28.0 to 51.7 %), respectively (p < 0.0001).  MRI detected 43 false-positive breast lesions, 37 (86.0 %) of which were correctly diagnosed as benign lesions using BSGI.  In 12 malignant lesions less than 1 cm, the sensitivities of BSGI and MR imaging were 83.3 % (CI: 51.6 to 97.9 %) and 91.7 % (CI: 61.5 to 99.8 %), respectively.  The author concluded that BSGI showed an equivocal sensitivity and a high specificity compared to MRI in the diagnosis of breast lesions.  In addition, BSGI had a good sensitivity in discriminating breast cancers less than or equal to 1 cm.  The results of this study suggested that BSGI could play a crucial role as an adjunctive imaging modality which can be used to evaluate breast cancer patients with dense breasts.

Keto et al (2012) prospectively compared the sensitivity of BSGI to MRI in newly diagnosed ductal carcinoma-in-situ (DCIS) patients.  Patients with newly diagnosed DCIS from June 1, 2009, through May 31, 2010, underwent a protocol with both breast MRI and BSGI.  Each imaging study was read by a separate dedicated breast radiologist.  Patients were excluded if excisional biopsy was performed for diagnosis, if their MRI was performed at an outside facility, or if final pathology revealed invasive carcinoma.  There were 18 patients enrolled onto the study that had both MRI and BSGI for newly diagnosed DCIS.  The sensitivity for MRI was 94 % and for BSGI was 89 % (p > 0.5, NS).  There was 1 index tumor not seen on either MRI or BSGI, and 1 index tumor seen on MRI but not visualized on BSGI.  The authors concluded that although BSGI has previously been shown to be as sensitive as MRI for detecting known invasive breast carcinoma, this study shows that BSGI is equally as sensitive as MRI at detecting newly diagnosed DCIS.  They stated that as a result of the limited number of patients enrolled onto the study, larger prospective studies are needed to determine the true sensitivity and specificity of BSGI.

Neuroendocrine tumors generally are small and slow-growing in nature, which makes them difficult to detect and localize using conventional imaging techniques such as CT and MRI.  Octreotide (Pentetreotide In-111) is a synthetic octapeptide analog of somatostatin that binds to somatostatin receptors on cell surfaces throughout the body.  The OctreoScan, which uses this radiopharmaceutical, can assist in staging the patient's disease more accurately by offering highly sensitive, whole-body detection and localization of primary and metastatic receptor-bearing neuroendocrine tumors, especially if they are small.  Octreotide has been shown to have an overall sensitivity of about 96 % in the detection of carcinoid tumors.  The literature indicates that, before consideration of aggressive cytoreductive hepatic surgery, an OctreoScan can be used for ruling out extrahepatic metastases.  As a consequence of the ability of OctreoScan to demonstrate somatostatin receptor-positive tumors, it can be used to select those patients who are likely to respond favorably to octreotide treatment.  Finally, the literature states that a negative OctreoScan implies that the tumors are not expressing somatostatin receptors; this is often associated with a more anaplastic histology.

There is currently insufficient evidence to support the use of Octreoscan for patients with granulomatous diseases (e.g., sarcoidosis).  In particular, guidelines from the Society for Nuclear Medicine (2004) stated that gallium scintigraphy is used to localize inflammation in sarcoidosis. 

Carbone and colleagues (2003) examined Octreoscan scintigraphy as a tool for classifying and assessing disease activity in sarcoidosis and idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP), in comparison of the radiological imaging and dyspnea symptom scores.  A total of 33 patients of which 16 with sarcoidosis (mean age of 43.6 years, range of 30 to 58 years) and 17 with histologically diagnosed IIP (mean age of 62.2 years, range of 35 to 79 years) were enrolled in the study.  Clinical history was taken as well as physical examination, chest X-ray, and pulmonary function tests were assessed.  A high-resolution computed tomography scan (HRCT) was carried out in patients affected by sarcoidosis, who had a normal chest X-ray, and in IIP patients.  Both groups were evaluated with the Octreoscan uptake index (UI; normal value: less than or equal to 10).  In patients affected with sarcoidosis, the Octreoscan UI was significantly higher than in patients with IIP (16.35 +/- 3.1 and 10.06 +/- 0.8, respectively; p < 0.01) and was correlated with the radiographical staging (p < 0.01) and with the degree of dyspnea (p < 0.01).  In patients with IIP, the Octreoscan UI was slightly above the normal limit (range of 10.3 to 11.7) in non-specific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) and desquamative interstitial pneumonia (DIP), whereas in usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) Octreoscan UI was always within normal limit (less than or equal to 10 UI).  A negative correlation was observed with histological findings (p < 0.01) and with HRCT appearance (p < 0.01).  The authors concluded that Octreoscan UI is correlated with the degree of dyspnea in patients affected by sarcoidosis and can quantify more accurately the degree of pulmonary involvement, as compared to radiological assessment.  Moreover, they stated that further studies are needed to evaluate Octreoscan as an early test for predicting disease progression.

Kroot et al (2006) reported on a case in which sarcoidosis in a clinically unaffected joint was demonstrated by somatostatin receptor scintigraphy.  The patient presented with decreased hearing, secondary amenorrhea, vertigo, dry eyes, and progressive loss of vision.  Because the differential diagnosis consisted of sarcoidosis and lymphoma, somatostatin receptor scintigraphy with indium-111-DTPA octreotide was performed.  Increased uptake was observed in the parotid gland, bilateral orbits, nose, and the right knee.  Remarkably, on clinical examination, no signs of arthritis of the right knee were observed.  Additional tissue analysis of the right knee revealed the diagnosis of sarcoidosis leading to successful treatment with prednisolone, anti-malarials, and azathioprine.  This case underlines the diagnostic potential of somatostatin receptor scintigraphy in patients with sarcoidosis, even in clinically unaffected tissue.

Radiolabeled octreotide is also being studied for the treatment of radio-resistant solid tumors especially small tumors (a few millimeters in diameter) whose uptake is maximal, allowing more homogeneous distribution than that achieved with large tumors.  The gamma emitting imaging radionuclide (111In-octreotate) is replaced by a beta emitting therapeutic radionuclide (90Y-ostreotide) (OctreoTher).  Guidelines from the UKNETwork for Neuroendocrine Tumours (Ramage et al, 2005) state that targeted radionuclide therapy is a useful palliative option for symptomatic patients with inoperable or metastatic neuroendocrine tumors where there is corresponding abnormally increased uptake of the corresponding radionuclide imaging agent.

There are no randomized controlled clinical trials of targeted radionuclide therapy of neuroendocrine tumors.  In a retrospective study (n = 21), Bodei and colleagues (2004) assessed the effectiveness of Yttrium-90 [90Y]-DOTA-Phe1-Tyr3-octreotide (90Y-DOTATOC) therapy in metastatic medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) patients with positive OctreoScan, progressing after conventional treatments.  Two patients (10 %) obtained a complete response (CR), as evaluated by CT, MRI and/or ultrasound, while a stabilization of disease (SD) was observed in 12 patients (57 %); 7 patients (33 %) did not respond to therapy.  The duration of the response ranged between 3 to 40 months.  Using biochemical parameters (calcitonin and CEA), CR was observed in 1 patient (5 %), while partial response was observed in 5 patients (24 %) and stabilization in 3 patients (14 %).  Twelve patients had progression (57 %); and CR was observed in patients with lower tumor burden and calcitonin values at the time of the enrollment.  These investigators concluded that this retrospective analysis is consistent with the literature, regarding a low response rate in MTC treated with 90Y-DOTATOC.  Patients with smaller tumors and higher uptake of the radiopeptide tended to respond better.  Studies with 90Y-DOTATOC administered in earlier phases of the disease will help to evaluate the ability of this treatment to enhance survival.

Waldherr et al (2002) reported on a prospective phase II study to evaluate the tumor response of neuroendocrine tumors to high-dose targeted irradiation with 90Y-DOTATOC.  A total of 39 patients with progressive neuroendocrine gastroentero-pancreatic and bronchial tumors were treated with 4 intravenous injections of  90Y-DOTATOC, administered at intervals of 6 weeks, and were followed for a median duration of 6 months (range of 2 to12 months). T he investigators reported an objective response rate of 23 %.  For endocrine pancreatic tumors (13 patients), the objective response rate was 38 %.  Complete remissions were found in 5 % (2/39), partial remissions in 18 % (7/39), stable disease in 69 % (27/39), and progressive disease in 8 % (3/39).  The investigators reported that a significant reduction of clinical symptoms could be found in 83 % of patients with diarrhea, in 46 % of patients with flushing, in 63 % of patients with wheezing, and in 75 % of patients with pellagra.  Side effects were grade 3 or 4 lymphocytopenia in 23 %, grade 3 anemia in 3 %, and grade 2 renal insufficiency in 3 %.

Paganelli et al (2002) reported on a study fo 90Y-DOTATOC in 87 patients with neuroendocrine tumors.  The investigators stated that most patients responded with stabilization of disease (48 %); however, objective responses were observed in 28 % of patients, including 5 % of patients showing a complete response.  The median duration of response was 24 months.  The investigators reported that gastrointestinal side effects were mild and included nausea and vomiting, which occurred in approximately 50 % of patients.

Weiner and Thakur (2005) noted that radiolabeled peptide therapy is usually indicated for patients with widespread disease that is not amenable to focused radiation therapy or is refractory to chemotherapy.  Phase I and phase II studies using various radiolabeled peptides (including (111)In-pentetreotide, 90Y-DOTATOC, 90Y-DOTA-lanreotide, and Lutetium-177 [177Lu]-DOTA-octreotate) for the treatment of patients with neuroendocrine malignancy are in progress.  This is in agreement with the observations of Oberg and Eriksson (2005) as well as Kwekkeboom and colleagues (2005).  Oberg and Eriksson stated that tumor-targeted treatment for malignant carcinoid tumor is still investigational, but has become of significant interest with the use of radiolabeled somatostatin analogs.  (111)Indium-DTPA-octreotide has been used as the first tumor-targeted treatment, with rather low response rates (in the order of 10 to 20 %) and no significant tumor shrinkage.  The second radioactive analog which has been applied in the clinic is 90Y-DOTATOC (OctreoTher), which has given partial and complete remissions in 20 to 30 % of patients.  The most significant side effects have been kidney dysfunction, thrombocytopenia and liver toxicity.  Kwekkeboom et al noted that treatment with radiolabeled somatostatin analogs is a promising new tool in the management of patients with inoperable or metastasized neuroendocrine tumors.  In a review of the literature on somatostatin analogues in the treatment of gastroentero-pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, Delaunoit et al (2005) stated that overall, radiolabeled somatostatin analogues have shown some activities in controlling tumor growth and clinical symptoms have been reduced significantly.  Toxic effects encountered have been manageable with adequate supportive care.  Delaunoit et al (2005) concluded that radiolabeled somatostatin analogues “constitute a promising alternative for treating patients with progressive and symptomatic disease” and that “[t]he results of larger ongoing studies are eagerly awaited.”

In a phase II study, Johnson and colleagues (2011) evaluated the efficacy and safety of subcutaneous octreotide therapy for the treatment of recurrent meningioma and meningeal hemangiopericytoma.  Octreotide is an agonist of somatostatin receptors, which are frequently expressed in meningioma, and reports have suggested that treatment with somatostatin agonists may lead to objective response in meningioma.  Patients with recurrent/progressive meningioma or meningeal hemangiopericytoma were eligible for enrollment; those with atypical/anaplastic meningioma or hemangiopericytoma must have experienced disease progression despite radiotherapy or have had a contraindication to radiation.  Patients received subcutaneous octreotide with a goal dose of 500 μg 3 times per day, as tolerated.  Imaging was performed every 3 months during therapy.  The primary outcome measure was radiographic response rate.  Eleven patients with meningioma and 1 with meningeal hemangiopericytoma were enrolled during the period 1992 to 1998.  Side effects included diarrhea (grade 1 in 4 patients and grade 2 in 2), nausea or anorexia (grade 1 in 4 patients), and transaminitis (grade 1 in 1 patient).  One patient developed extra hepatic cholangiocarcinoma, which was likely unrelated to octreotide therapy.  No radiographic responses were observed.  Eleven of the 12 patients experienced progression, with a median time to progression of 17 weeks.  Two patients experienced long progression-free intervals (30 months and greater than or equal to 18 years).  Eleven patients have died.  Median duration of survival was 2.7 years.  Immunohistochemical staining of somatostatin receptor Sstr2a expression in a subset of patients did not reveal a correlation between level of expression and length of progression-free survival.  Octreotide was well-tolerated but failed to produce objective tumor response, although 2 patients experienced prolonged stability of previously progressive tumors.

Schulz et al (2011) stated that the standard surgical treatment for meningiomas is total resection, but the complete removal of skull base meningiomas can be difficult for several reasons.  Thus, the management of certain meningiomas of the skull base -- for example, those involving basal vessels and cranial nerves -- remains a challenge.  In recent reports it has been suggested that somatostatin (SST) administration can cause growth inhibition of unresectable and recurrent meningiomas.  The application of SST and its analogs is not routinely integrated into standard treatment strategies for meningiomas, and clinical studies proving growth-inhibiting effects do not exist.  The authors reported on their experience using octreotide in patients with recurrent or unresectable meningiomas of the skull base.  Between January 1996 and December 2010, 13 patients harboring a progressive residual meningioma (as indicated by MR imaging criteria) following operative therapy were treated with a monthly injection of the SST analog octreotide (Sandostatin LAR [long-acting repeatable] 30 mg, Novartis).  Eight of 13 patients had a meningioma of the skull base and were analyzed in the present study.  Post-operative tumor enlargement was documented in all patients on MR images obtained before the initiation of SST therapy.  All tumors were benign.  No patient received radiation or chemotherapy before treatment with SST.  The growth of residual tumor was monitored by MR imaging every 12 months.  Three of the 8 patients had undergone surgical treatment once; 3, 2 times; and 2, 3 times.  The mean time after the last meningioma operation (before starting SST treatment) and tumor enlargement as indicated by MR imaging criteria was 24 months.  A total of 643 monthly cycles of Sandostatin LAR were administered.  Five of the 8 patients were on SST continuously and stabilized disease was documented on MR images obtained in these patients during treatment (median 115 months, range of 48 to 180 months).  Three of the 8 patients interrupted treatment: after 60 months in 1 case because of tumor progression, after 36 months in 1 case because of side effects, and after 36 months in 1 case because the health insurance company denied cost absorption.  The authors concluded that although no case of tumor regression was detected on MR imaging, the study results indicated that SST analogs can arrest the progression of unresectable or recurrent benign meningiomas of the skull base in some patients.  It remains to be determined whether a controlled prospective clinical trial would be useful.

In patients with primary cutaneous malignant melanoma, accurate staging of the primary tumor and detection of any occult micro-metastases in the regional lymph node basin is most important in determining survival and successful outcome of treatment.  According to accepted guidelines, preoperative cutaneous lymphoscintigraphy can be used to visualize the lymphatic drainage patterns from primary tumors and intraoperative lymphatic mapping can be used to identify the first sentinel lymph node in direct communication with the primary tumor.  Only individuals with histologically confirmed sentinel node metastases are selected to undergo radical node dissection and eventually receive adjuvant treatments, sparing those with tumor-free sentinel node the morbidity of these therapies.

In the past, it was routine practice to carry out axillary lymph node dissection at the time of surgical removal of a primary, malignant breast tumor.  As breast cancer is being diagnosed at an earlier stage in a growing percentage of cases, this procedure has proven to be unnecessary in a demonstrable proportion of patients.  As an alternative management strategy, several authorities have recommended identification of the sentinel node to predict the disease status of the axilla and consequently determine whether axillary lymph node dissection is indicated.  This can be accomplished using lymphoscintigraphy or injection of isosulfan blue, or both, followed by biopsy. The sentinel node can be identified in 80 % of patients and accurately predicts the status of the remainder of the axillary nodes in 95 % to 98 % of patients.  If the node is negative by frozen section nothing more is done.  If it is positive, a standard axillary dissection is done.  By limiting the number of lymph nodes removed, the injury to the circulatory system is minimized, and the risk of arm swelling (lymphedema) following treatment for breast cancer may be reduced.

Pheochromocytoma is a rare tumor of catecholamine-secreting chromaffin cells.  Several conventional and nuclear imaging modalities are currently available to localize pheochromocytoma.  Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have good sensitivity but poor specificity for detecting pheochromocytoma. 

I-131 meta-Iodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) is a compound that is actively accumulated in neuroendocrine tumors and thyroid tumors, which express the noradrenaline transporter.  While nuclear imaging approaches such as I-131 MIBG imaging have limited sensitivity, the specificity of I-131 MIBG scintigraphy is very good.  According to the NCI PDQ Database, CT and MRI scans are about equally sensitive (98 to 100 %) for pheochromocytoma, while MIBG scanning has a sensitivity of only 80 %.  However, MIBG scanning has a specificity of 100 %, compared to specificity of 70 % for CT and MRI.  Thus, I-131 MIBG imaging provides a method for confirming that a tumor is a pheochromocytoma and rules out metastatic disease.  Currently, I-131 MIBG is approved as an adjunctive diagnostic agent in the localization of primary or metastatic pheochromocytoma and neuroblastoma.  According to the National Cancer Institute’s PDQ Database, for staging of neuroblastoma, bone should be assessed by MIBG scan (applicable to all sites of disease) and by technetium-99 scan if the results of the MIBG imaging are negative or unavailable.  MIBG has also been used for detection of other neural crest tumors. 

Adrenomedullary imaging can also be performed with I-123 MIBG.  Furthermore, I-123 MIBG scintigraphy is also used for characterization of the cardiac nervous system.  Cardiac I-123 MIBG imaging, which reflects cardiac adrenergic nerve activity, may provide prognostic information on patients with congestive heart failure.  It is also used in the diagnosis of other cardiac diseases such as cardiomyopathy and idiopathic ventricular fibrillation.  Prospective randomized controlled studies are needed to ascertain the prognostic value of I-123 MIBG imaging in patients with heart failure and patients at risk for arrhythmia, and how I-123 MIBG imaging may affect management strategy.  Furthermore, the FDA has not approved the use of I-123 MIBG for these purposes.

Tamaki et al (2009) compared the predictive value of cardiac I-123 MIBG imaging for sudden cardiac death (SCD) with that of the signal-averaged electrocardiogram (SAECG), heart rate variability (HRV), and QT dispersion in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF).  Cardiac MIBG imaging, SAECG, 24-hr Holter monitoring, and standard 12-lead electrocardiography (ECG) were performed in 106 consecutive stable CHF outpatients with a radionuclide left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) less than 40 %.  The cardiac MIBG washout rate (WR) was obtained from MIBG imaging.  Furthermore, the time and frequency domain HRV parameters were calculated from 24-hr Holter recordings, and QT dispersion was measured from the 12-lead ECG.  During a follow-up period of 65 ± 31 months, 18 of 106 patients died suddenly.  A multi-variate Cox analysis revealed that WR and LVEF were significantly and independently associated with SCD, whereas the SAECG, HRV parameters, or QT dispersion were not.  Patients with an abnormal WR (greater than 27 %) had a significantly higher risk of SCD (adjusted hazard ratio: 4.79, 95 % confidence interval: 1.55 to 14.76).  Even when confined to the patients with LVEF greater than 35 %, SCD was significantly more frequently observed in the patients with than without an abnormal WR (p = 0.02).  The authors concluded that cardiac MIBG WR, but not SAECG, HRV, or QT dispersion, is a powerful predictor of SCD in patients with mild-to-moderate CHF, independently of LVEF.  This study has several drawbacks: (i) small and empirically chosen study population sample size and empirically chosen follow-up period length, (ii) single-center study, (iii) patients NYHA functional class IV were not included in the study, and (iv) failure to include data from T-wave alternans testing, which has recently been shown to be useful for the risk stratification of SCD in CHF patients.

On September 19, 2008, the FDA approved iobenguane I-123 injection (AdreView) for the detection of primary or metastatic pheochromocytoma or neuroblastoma as an adjunct to other diagnostic tests.  Iobenguane accumulates in adrenergically innervated tissues as well as tumors derived from the neural crest.  The uptake of iobenguane I-123 by metabolically active neuroblastoma or pheochromocytoma allows scintigraphic visualization of these tumors.  The safety and effectiveness of iobenguane I-123 were assessed in a single-arm clinical study of patients with known or suspected neuroblastoma or pheochromocytoma.  Diagnostic effectiveness was determined for 211 patients by comparison of focal increased radionuclide uptake on planar scintigraphy at 24 ± 6 hours post-administration of iobenguane I-123 injection against the definitive diagnosis (standard of truth).  The standard of truth was a diagnosis of presence or absence of pheochromocytoma in 127 patients and neuroblastoma in 84 patients.  The diagnosis was determined by histopathology or, when histopathology was unavailable, a composite of imaging, plasma/urine catecholamine and/or catecholamine metabolite measurements and clinical follow-up.  In the detection of either neuroblastoma or pheochromocytoma, the iobenguane I-123's sensitivity and specificity were determined independently based upon results of 3 image-readers who were fully masked to clinical information.  The sensitivity ranged from 77 % to 80 % and the specificity ranged from 69 % to 77 %.  Performance characteristics were similar between the groups of patients who had either a pheochromocytoma or neuroblastoma truth standard.

The American Academy of Neurology's practice parameter on the diagnosis and prognosis of new onset Parkinson disease (Suchowersky et al, 2006) stated that there is insufficient evidence to determine if I-123 labeled MIBG cardiac imaging is useful in differentiating Parkinson's disease from multiple system atrophy or progressive supranuclear palsy.

According to available guidelines, surgical ablation is the treatment of choice for pheochromocytoma (Sweeney and Blake, 2002).  Radiopharmaceutical ablation with MIBG has met with only "limited success" (NCI, 2003).  The National Cancer Institute PDQ on pheochromocytoma stated that “treatment with targeted radiation therapy using I131meta-iodobenzylguanidine (I131 MIBG) has met with limited success.  In approximately 35 % of patients screened, the tumor has sufficient uptake of the radioisotope to allow for a therapeutic dose.  In a group of 28 patients shown to have sufficient uptake of I131 MIBG, objective partial responses were observed in 29 % and biochemical improvement was noted in 43 %”.  According to guidelines from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (2003) on pheochromocytoma, MIBG may be used as an alternative to surgical debulking and medical therapy for persons with distant metastases who are enrolled in a clinical trial (NCCN, 2003).

Quach and colleagues (2011) analyzed the effects of (131) I-MIBG therapy on thyroid and liver function in patients with neuroblastoma.  Pre- and post-therapy thyroid and liver functions were reviewed in a total of 194 neuroblastoma patients treated with (131) I-MIBG therapy.  The cumulative incidence over time was estimated for both thyroid and liver toxicities.  The relationship to cumulative dose/kg of body weight, number of treatments, time from treatment to follow-up, sex, and patient age was examined.  In patients who presented with grade 0 or 1 thyroid toxicity at baseline, 12 +/- 4 % experienced onset of or worsening to grade 2 hypo-thyroidism and 1 patient developed grade 2 hyper-thyroidism by 2 years after (131) I-MIBG therapy.  At 2 years post-(131) I-MIBG therapy, 76 +/- 4 % patients experienced onset or worsening of hepatic toxicity to any grade, and 23 +/- 5 % experienced onset of or worsening to grade 3 or 4 liver toxicity.  Liver toxicity was usually transient asymptomatic transaminase elevation, frequently confounded by disease progression and other therapies.  The authors concluded that prophylactic regimen of potassium iodide and potassium perchlorate with (131) I-MIBG therapy resulted in a low rate of significant hypo-thyroidism.  Liver abnormalities following (131) I-MIBG therapy were primarily reversible and did not result in late toxicity.  They stated that (131) I-MIBG therapy is a promising treatment for children with relapsed neuroblastoma with a relatively low rate of symptomatic thyroid or hepatic dysfunction.

Lin et al (1999) discussed the potential diagnostic and therapeutic utility of somatostatin receptor scintigraphy and therapy with somatostatin.  In-111 pentetreotide (In-111 octreotide), a somatostatin analog, was used to define the receptor status and the extent of disease in a case of malignant thymoma.  Subsequent treatment with non-radioactive somatostatin inhibited tumor growth.  The authors concluded that In-111 octreotide may be useful to define tumor receptor status and may provide prognostic information useful in determining subsequent therapy.

In a phase II study, Loehrer et al (2004) examined the objective response rate, duration of remission and toxicity of octreotide alone or with the later addition of prednisone in patients with unresectable, advanced thymic malignancies in whom the pre-treatment octreotide scan was positive.  A total of 42 patients with advanced thymoma or thymic carcinoma were entered onto the trial, of whom 38 were fully assessable (1 patient had inconclusive histology; 3 patients had negative octreotide scan).  Patients received octreotide 0.5 mg subcutaneously 3 times a day.  At 2 months, patients were evaluated.  Responding patients continued to receive octreotide alone; patients with progressive disease were removed from the study.  All others received prednisone 0.6 mg/kg orally 4 times a day for a maximum of 1 year.  Two complete responses ([CR]; 5.3 %) and 10 partial responses ([PR]; 25 %) were observed (4 PR with octreotide alone; the remainder with octreotide plus prednisone).  None of the 6 patients without pure thymoma responded.  The 1- and 2-year survival rates were 86.6 % and 75.7 %, respectively.  Patients with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 lived significantly longer than did those with a performance status of 1 (p = 0.031).  The authors concluded that octreotide alone has modest activity in patients with octreotide scan-positive thymoma.  Prednisone improves the overall response rate but is associated with increased toxicity.  They stated that additional studies with the agent are warranted.

Ozkan et al (2011) evaluated the outcome of high-dose In-111 octreotide treatment and efficacy of long-acting release (LAR) sandostatin in patients with disseminated neuroendocrine tumors.  A total of 14 patients (mean age of 51.8 +/- 13.2 years; 4 males and 10 females) receiving high-dose In-111 octreotide for the treatment of neuroendocrine tumors were included in the study.  Monthly treatment with long-acting somatostatin analog (sandostatin LAR) was continued in 9 cases.  During a 3-year period, a total of 45 courses of high-dose In-111 octreotide treatment were delivered to 14 patients.  In 7 patients receiving an average of 4 treatment courses (6 carcinoid tumors, 1 thymoma, patients: 2, 4, 5, 11 to 14) stable disease was achieved (50 %).  In 2 patients with carcinoid tumors (patients 1 and 3) who received 4 treatment courses, PR was observed (14 %).  Five patients (36 %; 4 NET, 1 gastrinoma; patients 6 to 10) died due to progressive disease following on average 2 treatment courses.  On average, deaths occurred 2 months after the last treatment dose.  No CR was seen; PR was achieved in 2 of the 9 patients receiving sandostatin LAR, while 4 had stable disease.  Both treatments were associated with acceptable tolerability.  The authors concluded that high-dose In-111 octreotide can be safely administered in conjunction with somatostatin analog in patients with disseminated NET and this treatment may help to stabilize the disease.

Gubens (2012) noted that thymomas and thymic carcinomas are rare diseases of the anterior mediastinum.  Although some thymomas are quite indolent and able to be resected in a curative fashion, the treatment of metastatic disease remains a challenge, especially for the more aggressive thymic carcinoma histology.  Based on the results of single-arm trials, combination chemotherapy is the standard of care in the first-line, and anthracycline-based treatments should be used if patients are reasonably fit.  Several single-agent cytotoxic chemotherapy agents have some effectiveness in subsequent lines of therapy, especially pemetrexed and, in octreotide scan-positive patients, octreotide.  The author stated that prospective trials of new agents are difficult to conduct given the rarity of thymoma, but various targeted therapies do show promise.  Greater international research collaboration, as well as modern techniques in molecular and genomic characterization, should help to advance the treatment of thymic malignancies in the near future.

The NCCN clinical practice guideline on “Thymomas and thymic carcinomas” (Version 2.2013) lists etoposide, ifosfamide, pemetrexed, octreotide (LAR; with or without prednisone), 5-fluorouracil, gemcitabine, and paclitaxel as a second line chemotherapy.  It also states that “None of these agents have been assessed in randomized trials.  Octreotide may be useful in patients with thymoma who have a positive octreotide scan or symptoms of carcinoid syndrome …. Patients with thymoma also have an increased risk for second malignancies, although no particular screening studies are recommended”.