Cancer imaging with radiolabeled antibodies: new advances with technetium-99m-labeled monoclonal antibody Fab' fragments, especially CEA-Scan and prospects for therapy

J Nucl Med Technol. 1997 Mar;25(1):18-23; quiz 34.

Abstract

The use of radiolabeled anticancer antibodies to detect cancer sites by external scintigraphy has had a relatively long history. With the advent of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), which precluded the need for purifying the antibodies by laborious purification steps, there was a surge of interest and efforts to develop these reagents for both imaging and therapy applications (1). Today, many thousands of patients have received different forms and doses of MAbs for various purposes, and four MAb-based products have been licensed for manufacture and sale in the U.S. (2,3). This article describes the most recent MAb product to be approved in the U.S. for colorectal cancer imaging, including discussions of using this agent and its therapeutic counterpart in several cancer types.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal* / therapeutic use
  • Carcinoembryonic Antigen*
  • Carcinoma / diagnostic imaging
  • Colonic Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Drug Approval
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments*
  • Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
  • Radioimmunodetection / methods*
  • Radioimmunotherapy
  • Radiopharmaceuticals* / therapeutic use
  • Rectal Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Technetium* / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Carcinoembryonic Antigen
  • Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments
  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • Technetium