  Purpose: A radio-guided surgery technique with beta- -emitting radio-tracers
was suggested to overcome the effect of the large penetration of gamma
radiation. The feasibility studies in the case of brain tumors and abdominal
neuro-endocrine tumors were based on simulations starting from PET images with
several underlying assumptions. This paper reports, as proof-of-principle of
this technique, an ex-vivo test on a meningioma patient. This test allowed to
validate the whole chain, from the evaluation of the SUV of the tumor, to the
assumptions on the bio-distribution and the signal detection.
  Methods: A patient affected by meningioma was administered 300 MBq of
90Y-DOTATOC. Several samples extracted from the meningioma and the nearby Dura
Mater were analyzed with a beta- probe designed specifically for this
radio-guided surgery technique. The observed signals were compared both with
the evaluation from the histology and with the Monte Carlo simulation.
  Results: we obtained a large signal on the bulk tumor (105 cps) and a
significant signal on residuals of $\sim$0.2 ml (28 cps). We also show that
simulations predict correctly the observed yields and this allows us to
estimate that the healthy tissues would return negligible signals (~1 cps).
This test also demonstrated that the exposure of the medical staff is
negligible and that among the biological wastes only urine has a significant
activity.
  Conclusions: This proof-of-principle test on a patient assessed that the
technique is feasible with negligible background to medical personnel and
confirmed that the expectations obtained with Monte Carlo simulations starting
from diagnostic PET images are correct.
