Improved detection of medullary thyroid cancer with radiolabeled antibodies to carcinoembryonic antigen.

Abstract

Anti-CEA MAbs are excellent agents for imaging recurrent, residual, or metastatic MTC. The high lesion sensitivity in patients with known lesions, combined with the ability to detect disease, may make these agents ideal for staging patients, monitoring disease pretherapy or posttherapy, and especially for evaluating patients with recurrent or persistent hypercalcitonemia or CEA elevations after primary surgery. Analogous to radioiodine in the evaluation of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer, radiolabeled anti-CEA MAbs may achieve a similar role in diagnosing and monitoring patients with MTC.