Impact of additional SPECT in bone scanning in tumor patients with suspected metastatic bone disease.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the additional value of single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) for patient staging compared to planar bone scanning in an unselected cohort of cancer patients.

Methods: The study included 271 consecutive tumor patients in whom planar imaging and two-bed position SPECT of the spine and the pelvis had been performed. Retrospective image interpretation was performed independently for planar and SPECT scans.

Amifostine is a potent radioprotector of salivary glands in radioiodine therapy. Structural and ultrastructural findings.

Background And Purpose: Salivary gland impairment following high-dose radioiodine treatment is well recognized. Since differentiated thyroid cancer has a good prognosis, reduction of long-term side effects is important. This study investigates the radioprotective effects of amifostine in salivary glands of rabbits receiving high-dose radioiodine therapy so as to obtain deeper insight in changes on the cellular and ultrastructural level.

Emergency localization of radioactive seeds lost during intracoronary brachytherapy.

Recently, it has been reported that brachytherapy catheters ruptured in vivo. Localization of lost beta-radiation-emitting seeds is a problem because no appropriate technique is available that is rapid and precise. We developed a technique to localize beta-emitting seeds utilizing the effect that beta-radiation induces bremsstrahlung.