An octreotide scan is a type of SPECT

scintigraphy Scintigraphy (from Latin ''scintilla'', "spark"), also known as a gamma scan, is a diagnostic test in nuclear medicine, where radioisotopes attached to drugs that travel to a specific organ or tissue (radiopharmaceuticals) are taken internally and ...

used to find

carcinoid A carcinoid (also carcinoid tumor) is a slow-growing type of neuroendocrine tumor originating in the cells of the neuroendocrine system. In some cases, metastasis may occur. Carcinoid tumors of the midgut (jejunum, ileum, appendix, and cecum) ...

pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (PanNETs, PETs, or PNETs), often referred to as "islet cell tumours", or "pancreatic endocrine tumours" are neuroendocrine neoplasms that arise from cells of the endocrine (hormonal) and nervous system within t ...

s, and to localize

sarcoidosis Sarcoidosis (also known as ''Besnier-Boeck-Schaumann disease'') is a disease involving abnormal collections of inflammatory cells that form lumps known as granulomata. The disease usually begins in the lungs, skin, or lymph nodes. Less commonly a ...

. It is also called somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS).

Octreotide Octreotide, sold under the brand name Sandostatin among others, is an octapeptide that mimics natural somatostatin pharmacologically, though it is a more potent inhibitor of growth hormone, glucagon, and insulin than the natural hormone. It was ...

, a drug similar to somatostatin, is

radiolabeled A radioactive tracer, radiotracer, or radioactive label is a chemical compound in which one or more atoms have been replaced by a radionuclide so by virtue of its radioactive decay it can be used to explore the mechanism of chemical reactions by tr ...

with indium-111, and is injected into a vein and travels through the bloodstream. The radioactive octreotide attaches to

tumor cells A neoplasm () is a type of abnormal and excessive growth of tissue. The process that occurs to form or produce a neoplasm is called neoplasia. The growth of a neoplasm is uncoordinated with that of the normal surrounding tissue, and persists ...

that have receptors for somatostatin (i.e.

gastrinoma Gastrinomas are neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), usually located in the duodenum or pancreas, that secrete gastrin and cause a clinical syndrome known as Zollinger–Ellison syndrome (ZES). A large number of gastrinomas develop in the pancreas or duod ...

, glucagonoma, etc.). A

gamma camera A gamma camera (γ-camera), also called a scintillation camera or Anger camera, is a device used to image gamma radiation emitting radioisotopes, a technique known as scintigraphy. The applications of scintigraphy include early drug development ...

detects the radioactive octreotide, and makes pictures showing where the tumor cells are in the body, typically by a SPECT technique. A

technetium-99m Technetium-99m (99mTc) is a metastable nuclear isomer of technetium-99 (itself an isotope of technetium), symbolized as 99mTc, that is used in tens of millions of medical diagnostic procedures annually, making it the most commonly used medical ra ...

based

radiopharmaceutical Radiopharmaceuticals, or medicinal radiocompounds, are a group of pharmaceutical drugs containing radioactive isotopes. Radiopharmaceuticals can be used as diagnostic and therapeutic agents. Radiopharmaceuticals emit radiation themselves, which ...

kit is also available. Octreotide scanning is reported to have a sensitivity between 75% and 100% for detecting pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Instead of gamma-emitting ¹¹¹In, certain octreotide derivatives such as

edotreotide Edotreotide (USAN, also known as (DOTA0- Phe1- Tyr3) octreotide, DOTA-TOC, DOTATOC) is a substance which, when bound to various radionuclides, is used in the treatment and diagnosis of certain types of cancer. When used therapeutically it is an ...

(DOTATOC) or DOTATATE are able to be linked by chelation to positron-emitting isotopes such as

gallium-68 Natural gallium (31Ga) consists of a mixture of two stable isotopes: gallium-69 and gallium-71. The most commercially important radioisotopes are gallium-67 and gallium-68. Gallium-67 (half-life 3.3 days) is a gamma-emitting isotope (the gamma r ...

and

copper-64 Copper-64 (64Cu) is a positron and beta emitting isotope of copper, with applications for molecular radiotherapy and positron emission tomography. Its unusually long half-life (12.7-hours) for a positron-emitting isotope makes it increasingly us ...

which in turn can be evaluated with more precise (compared with SPECT) scanning techniques such as

PET-CT Positron emission tomography–computed tomography (better known as PET-CT or PET/CT) is a nuclear medicine technique which combines, in a single gantry, a positron emission tomography (PET) scanner and an x-ray computed tomography (CT) scan ...

. Thus, the octreotide scan is now being replaced in most centers with gallium-68 DOTATATE and copper-64 DOTATATE scans. Somatostatin receptor imaging can now be performed with positron emission tomography (PET) which offers higher resolution and more rapid imaging.

Indications

An octreotide scan may be used to locate suspected primary neuroendocrine tumours (NET) or for follow-up or

staging Staging may refer to: Computing * Staging (cloud computing), a process used to assemble, test, and review a new solution before it is moved into production and the existing solution is decommissioned * Staging (data), intermediately storing data b ...

after treatment. Where indicated, octreotide scanning for NET tumors is being increasingly replaced by gallium-68 DOTA and copper-64 DOTATATE scans.

Procedure

Indium-111

The

indium-111 pentetreotide An octreotide scan is a type of SPECT scintigraphy used to find carcinoid, pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, and to localize sarcoidosis. It is also called somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS). Octreotide, a drug similar to somatostatin, is rad ...

radiopharmaceutical is prepared from a kit in a radiopharmacy. Pentetreotide is a

DTPA Pentetic acid or diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) is an aminopolycarboxylic acid consisting of a diethylenetriamine backbone with five carboxymethyl groups. The molecule can be viewed as an expanded version of EDTA and is used similar ...

conjugate of octreotide. Approximately 200 megabecquerels (MBq) of indium-111 is injected

intravenously Intravenous therapy (abbreviated as IV therapy) is a medical technique that administers fluids, medications and nutrients directly into a person's vein. The intravenous route of administration is commonly used for rehydration or to provide nutrie ...

. Imaging takes place 24 hours after injection, but may also be carried out at 4 and 48 hours.

Technetium-99m

The ^99mTc product is supplied as a kit with two vials, one containing the chelating agent ethylenediaminediacetic acid (EDDA) and the other the HYNIC-Tyr3-octreotide chelator and somatostatin analog. Approximately 400-700 MBq may be administered, with imaging at 2, 4, and occasionally 24 hours post administration. ^99mTc based octreotide imaging shows slightly higher sensitivity than ¹¹¹In.

References

External links

*
Octreotide scan
entry in the public domain NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms {{DEFAULTSORT:Octreotide Scan 2d nuclear medical imaging Medical imaging