In-house preparation of iodine -131 metaiodo benzyl guanidine for scintigraphy of neuroendocrine tumors. Fourteen years experience in South India

• Published in: Hellenic journal of nuclear medicine Vol. 10; no. 3; p. 164
• Main Authors: Oommen, Regi, Shanthly, Nylla, Subramani, Narasimhan, Devadhas, Devakumar, Hephzibah, Julie, Theodore, Bernice, Srinivasan, Jayashankar
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Greece 01.09.2007
• Subjects: 3-Iodobenzylguanidine - economics; 3-Iodobenzylguanidine - therapeutic use; Antineoplastic Agents - economics; Antineoplastic Agents - therapeutic use; Humans; India; Neuroendocrine Tumors - diagnostic imaging; Neuroendocrine Tumors - pathology; Neuroendocrine Tumors - radiotherapy; Radionuclide Imaging; Radiopharmaceuticals - economics; Staining and Labeling; Time Factors; Whole Body Imaging
• ISSN: 1790-5427

Iodine-131 metaiodobenzyl guanidine ((131)I-MIBG) is routinely used for imaging and treatment of neuroendocrine tumors (NET). As the commercially available radiopharmaceutical was very expensive, we developed an in-house method of labeling MIBG with (131)I in 1993. A total of 247 batches of (131)I-MIBG were prepared and used in our hospital between April 1993 and September 2006. We report our experience over these 14 years of preparation of this tracer in our hospital radiopharmacy, for the scintigraphy of NET. The technique of preparation is simple and the labeled product was found to be of acceptable quality. With the routine availability and cost effectiveness, the utilization of this radiopharmaceutical for scintigraphy increased remarkably in our institution.