[Immunoscintigraphy in oncology].

In vivo immunotargeting of specific antigens with radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies is a new method of diagnosis which has largely improved over the past 15 years. It has been especially developed in the oncologic field. Although it is not yet a daily procedure, immunoscintigraphy has been proven a useful diagnostic tool in many situations. It gives information about the presence of lesions and their neoplastic nature. For this reason, immunoscintigraphy appears as very complementary to morphological imaging and is mainly indicated when lesions have insufficient anatomical definition. Early detection of recurrences is actually the best indication of immunoscintigraphy. However, some problems still exist, concerning the tumor/tissues uptake ratio which is not sufficient for an optimal imaging contrast, and the apparition of human anti-mouse antibodies (HAMA) in the patients. At present, many works are in progress which could resolve these problems. Ultimately, well-performed clinical trials are necessary to establish the right place for immunoscintigraphy in the diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in oncology.