Patent ID: 6855308

Claim:
A method of detecting tumors expressing VPAC receptors in a subject who has, or is suspected of having, such a tumor, said method comprising: (1) administering an effective amount of an imaging compound of formulae A or B to the subject; and (2) generating a scintigraphic image of at least part of the subject, wherein formulae A and B are: M(I)-X 1 -P-X 2 (A) X 1 -P-X 2 -M(I) (B) wherein: M is a chelating agent, provided that in formula A, when X 1 is zero and P is PACAP 27 (SEQ ID NO: 2), M is not a polyamino-polycarboxylic acid chelating agent; (I) is an imaging radionuclide conjugated to M; X 1 is from zero to twenty natural or synthetic amino acids; P is PACAP, or an analog or fragment thereof which exhibits PACAP biological activity; and X 2 is from zero to twenty natural or synthetic amino acids.