99m Tc-EDDA/HYNIC-TOC: a new 99m Tc-labelled radiopharmaceutical for imaging somatostatin receptor-positive tumours: first clinical results and intra-patient comparison with 111 In-labelled octreotide derivatives

. [ 111 In-diethylene triamine penta-acetic acid- d -Phe 1 ]-octreotide (DTPA-octreotide) scintigraphy has gained widespread acceptance as a diagnostic clinical procedure in oncology for imaging somatostatin receptor-positive tumours. However, indium-111 as a radiolabel has several drawbacks, including limited availability, suboptimal gamma energy and high radiation burden to the patient. We have recently reported on the preclinical development of 99m Tc-EDDA/HYNIC-TOC, a new octreotide derivative which showed promising results both in vitro and in vivo. We now report our initial clinical experiences with this new radiopharmaceutical in ten oncological patients. The clinical diagnoses were: carcinoid syndrome ( n =5), thyroid cancer ( n =3), pancreatic cancer ( n =1) and pituitary tumour ( n =1). The biodistribution and kinetics of 99m Tc-EDDA/HYNIC-TOC were compared with those of 111 In-DTPA-octreotide in six cases, and with those of 111 In-DOTA-TOC in five cases. With the new tracer tumours were imaged within 15 min after injection and showed the highest target/non-target ratios 4 h after injection. Tumour uptake persisted up to 20 h p.i. The rate of blood clearance was similar to that of 111 In-DTPA-octreotide but faster than that of 111 In-DOTA-TOC, while urinary excretion was lower compared with the 111 In derivatives. Semi-quantitative region of interest analysis showed that 99m Tc-EDDA/HYNIC-TOC produced higher tumour/organ (target/non-target) ratios than the 111 In derivatives, especially in relation to heart and muscle. Significantly more lesions could be detected in 99m Tc images. We conclude that 99m Tc-EDDA/HYNIC-TOC shows better imaging properties for the identification of somatostatin receptor-positive tumour sites than currently available 111 In-labelled octreotide derivatives.