[Current role of immunoscintigraphy for surgical therapy of the recurrence of colorectal cancers].

In patients with local recurrence or liver metastases from colorectal cancer the preoperative results of conventional diagnostic methods (sonography, computed tomography, x-ray, endoscopy) and immunoscintigraphy performed with 131I labeled CEA/Ca 19-9 antibodies were compared to intraoperative findings. Specificity of immunoscintigraphy in detecting liver metastases was higher compared to conventional diagnostic methods but its predictive reliability was disappointing, especially in regard to diagnosis of the number of liver metastases and detection of local recurrence or peritoneal seedings. Compared to all intraoperative findings a positive predictive value of 74% and a negative predictive value of 42% for immunoscintigraphy could be found as compared to 88% and 63%, respectively, for conventional diagnostic methods. So immunoscintigraphy in our experience cannot give more information beyond conventional diagnostic tools for indication or planning of operative strategy in the treatment of recurrent colorectal cancer.