Deferoxamine mesylate enhancement of ⁶⁷Ga tumor-to-blood ratios and tumor imaging

Abstract

To improve the tumor-to-blood ratio in ⁶⁷Ga tumor imaging, the effect of administration of deferoxamine mesylate (DFO) was evaluated. DFO improved ⁶⁷Ga tumor-to-blood ratios in tumor-bearing rats. Administration of DFO 12 h after ⁶⁷Ga injection did not decrease the concentration of radioactivity in the tumor of rats, but administration of DFO 4 h after ⁶⁷Ga decreased the concentration of radioactivity in the tumor. Serum unsaturated iron binding capacity in rats was transiently increased by DFO administration, but when DFO was administered before ⁶⁷Ga injection the tumor uptake showed rather decreased levels. In human studies, DFO accelerated the excretion of ⁶⁷Ga from the blood, but tumor images were not necessarily improved.