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Background: Glucose metabolism can be studied in vitro by a variety of means, also by fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). As an example of the potential use we have compared the high glucose consumption in cancer cells and in transformed non-malignant foetal cells. The high glucose metabolism in cancer cells is not primarily for the production of energy, a large proportion is transformed to lactate only, producing two instead of potentially 32 ATP equivalents. The secreted lactate reduces the pH in the local microenvironment and gives malignant cells, more apt to thrive in hypoxic and acid environments, a competitive advantage., Purpose: To demonstrate the use of FDG in head-to-head comparison of glucose uptake and lactate production in a highly malignant and a highly proliferative non-malignant cell line., Materials and Methods: Cell cultures of a foetal kidney cell line and a triple negative breast cancer cell line were incubated with FDG for one hour, washed, harvested and the radioactivity content in the cells was measured in a well counter. The lactate concentration was measured in conditioned medium., Results: The FDG uptake was consistently higher in the non-malignant foetal cell line. The levels of lactate in the conditioned medium were similar., Conclusion: Quantitative comparison of glucose metabolism by in vitro use of FDG is a practical, cheap and rapid method. Some foetal cells have higher glucose uptake and produce as much lactate as this highly malignant cell line. This is an argument against the high glucose consumption being related solely to malignancy., (© 2016 Scandinavian Society of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate a new principle for collimation of gamma probes for radioguided surgery and sentinel node detection: the use of asymmetric lateral shielding. The intension was to maintain the sensitivity in the lateral and forward directions on the unshielded side while at the same time to shield the probe against high activity sources that could mask the signal from the object to be detected., Methods: The device was constructed to shield only against photons that come from a region in space that spans approximately 180° sideways and forwards relative to the detector. The intension of the study was to demonstrate the principle rather than to document its use in the clinic. Sensitivity profiles were derived from measurements obtained while stepwise moving the probe relatively to a point source of known activity surrounded by water. The measurements were taken in the symmetry plane of the collimator where the shielding effects were expected to be most pronounced., Results: The asymmetric collimator led to nearly unchanged sensitivity in the lateral and forward directions. At the same time, the field of view was effectively shrunk on the shielded side. Contributions from sources lateral and close to the shield were reduced by factors up to 45., Conclusion: By rotating the probe around its longitudinal axis, an asymmetric add-on shield collimator could potentially make it easier to detect a sentinel node when this is located close to a neighbouring high activity region like the urinary bladder or the injection site., (© 2013 Scandinavian Society of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objective: During a short period of 10 days, four patients presented with intense extraosseous uptake of a technetium-labelled bone-seeking agent, three in the heart and one in the liver at our hospital. During the next 6 weeks, identical heart uptake was found in another two patients. Two patients were re-examined, with identical uptake on the second occasion. A search for a possible cause was initiated., Methods: Bone scintigraphy with Teceos(®) was performed after labelling the kit as described in the Summary of Product Characteristics [IBA, http://www.iba-molecular.com/sites/default/files/spcT1901E.pdf (in french, 29/3/2011)]. On two occasions, the kit used was retrospectively analysed, without any apparent abnormality. Two patients were re-examined 1 month later, with identical cardiac and liver uptake on repeat examination. Contact with referring physicians and blood test screening did not show any consistent reason for these extraosseous uptakes. Additionally, five cases at other hospitals in Norway have been brought to our attention., Results: In at least ten patients, intense cardiac uptake has been recorded, all in relatively old patients, and one young patient had massive liver uptake. No abnormalities in labelling or composition of 3,3-diphospho-1,2-propanedicarboxylic acid were found., Discussion: Liver and cardiac uptakes of bone-seeking agents have been described in amyloidosis, and for the heart, after myocardial infarction. We have ruled out any possible contamination by interfering radiopharmaceuticals and cannot find any reason for these findings. Eleven patients with amyloidosis seem one of several hypotheses that is highly improbable., (© 2011 The Authors. Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging © 2011 Scandinavian Society of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine.)

Objective: Integrin scintimammography with NC100692 and a dedicated gamma-camera, LumaGEM, based on semi-conductor technology, was performed to investigate the detection ability of this combination in breast cancer., Methods: Eight patients with a high suspicion of breast cancer were administered 600-750 MBq (99m)Tc-labelled NC100629. Two acquisitions using a cranio-caudal and a lateral view were used, with moderate compression of the breast., Results: LumaGEM scintigraphy revealed 9 of 11 malignancies, sized 6-20 mm. Two lesions in patients with multicentric disease were not diagnosed, one of which measured only 2.5 mm. In one patient, the procedure was inconclusive, due to major breast hypertrophy., Conclusion: The combined use of NC100629 and a dedicated gamma-camera for breast imaging was highly effective in diagnosing breast cancer.