Assessment of cobalt 57 tagged bleomycin as a clinical aid in staging of head and neck carcinoma

The Laryngoscope
C W CummingsA Merello

Abstract

Critical assessment of head and neck cancer with respect to staging has, on occasion, been disappointingly ineffective. We have attempted to correlate the incidence of measureable uptake of cobalt 57 tagged bleomycin by primary squamous cell carcinoma and metastatic cervical lymph nodes. Forty-six cases have been evaluated with respect to histopathological confirmation of the suspected metastatic disease. We have found that this diagnostic measure increases our acumen in staging of head and neck cancer. The relevance of the Co-Bleo scans as a diagnostic aid is reported in 46 cases. Malignant tumors greater than 2 cm in size appear to demonstrate active uptake of the imaging agent. Small tumor size and excess background radioactivity contribute to the false-negatives (17%). Inflammatory conditions or benign tumors of the salivary apparatus may result in minimal uptake, thus, a false-positive result (10%). An increase in the radioactivity of the Co-Bleo may enhance the benefits of this procedure in the search for an undiagnosed primary, as well as undiagnosed local or distant metastases.

Citations

Mar 1, 2007·Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery : Official Publication of the Association of Otolaryngologists of India·Nitin AnandRajni Prasad
Apr 1, 1991·Clinical Otolaryngology and Allied Sciences·J C WatkinsonS E Clarke
Oct 1, 1990·Clinical Otolaryngology and Allied Sciences·J C Watkinson
Sep 1, 1996·European Journal of Cancer. Part B, Oral Oncology·K J KairemoS Bondestam
Apr 1, 1994·The Annals of Otology, Rhinology, and Laryngology·S OncelS Arslanoğlu
Jun 1, 1985·Otolaryngology--head and Neck Surgery : Official Journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery·D B BlakesleeJ Sprengelmeyer

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