AXILLARY LYMPHOSCINTIGRAPHY BY RADIOIMMUNODETECTION OF CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN IN BREAST-CANCER

  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 20  (12) , 1243-1250
Abstract
In 7 women with carcinoma of the breast 131I-labeled antibodies to carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were administered s.c. in the finger webs. Subsequent scintigraphic images demonstrated localization of radioactivity in the ipsilateral axillary metastases of all patients and in the contralateral axillae of three. Fifteen patients with gastrointestinal or genitourinary cancers were studied as controls; in 12 both the hands and feet were injected with antibodies to CEA and in the other 3 either the hands or feet were injected. Radioactivity was observed in inquinal nodes of 4 control patients with tumors below the diaphragm and in axillary nodes of 1 patient with a tumor above the diaphragm. The concentration of antibody in lymph node metastases from breast carcinoma was 100% specific. In lymph nodes that presumably contained no metastatic tumor but demonstrated localization of labeled antibody, retention of CEA in the nodes from tumor drainage is postulated as the receptor site for the antibody.