Premium
Radioactive xenon pulmonary studies in the smoker
Author(s) -
Heidendal GuidoKarel,
Fontana Robert S.,
Tauxe W. Newton
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(197211)30:5<1358::aid-cncr2820300533>3.0.co;2-l
Subject(s) - medicine , washout , nuclear medicine , clearance , lung , technetium 99 , carcinoma , occult , cardiology , radiology , pathology , urology , alternative medicine
Data on pulmonary accumulation and washout rates of xenon‐133 in 10 normal nonsmokers and 10 normal smokers are presented. There was no difference between the two groups in pulmonary distribution. No areas of localized retention were observed. Rates of accumulation were similar in the two groups. Washout was bi‐exponential during the period studied; the fast rate (mean T1/2 19.6 sec.) probably represents principally pulmonary emptying, and the slow rate (mean T1/2 6.1 min.) probably reflects the clearing rate from extrapulmonary tissues. There were no differences in the washout rates between the groups. However, the fraction that entered pools being cleared via the slower pathway was significantly higher among the smokers than among the nonsmokers. This procedure has localized proved in‐situ squamous carcinoma of the lung in one patient who had a negative chest roentgenogram. This finding, plus the ease of performance and the reproducibility of the images, would seem to justify further evaluation of the test in other patients with early or occult bronchogenic carcinoma.