Abstract

Lung cancer is responsible for much suffering and death worldwide. Theonly hope for cure is therapy applied in an early phase, and all methods of diagnosis should be aimedat this goal. This paper reviews the development of the use of monoclonal antibodies in the diagnosisof lung cancer. Relevant data since the publication of the technology of producing monoclonal antibodiesin 1975 to the present are summarized. The authors evaluate the progress of the immunodiagnosis of lungcancer by monoclonal antibodies from pleural effusion, bone marrow, sputum, bronchial lavage, and bronchialbrush (immunocytochemistry). They collect recent data on the immunohistochemistry of biopsy materialsand of removed tissues. They evaluate radioimmuno-imaging (radioimmuno-scintigraphy) and immuno-PET asin vivo macroscopic diagnostic methods of lung cancer by monoclonal antibodies as well as the help monoclonalantibodies provide in radioimmuno-guided surgery or immunoimage-guided, focally ablative therapy of thisdisease.

Keywords: Antigens, Neoplasm, Antibodies, Neoplasm - diagnostic use, Antibodies, Monoclonal - diagnostic use, Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung - immunology, Carcinoma, Small Cell - immunology, Immunologic Tests - methods, Lung Neoplasms - immunology, Positron-Emission Tomography, Radioimmunodetection