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Initial experience with FDG-PET/CT in the evaluation of breast cancer

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Abstract

Purpose

We retrospectively reviewed FDG-PET/CT images in patients with breast cancer to determine whether PET/CT improved the level of diagnostic confidence as compared with PET and to compare PET/CT and CT findings at the location of suspected malignancies.

Methods

The study included 75 patients with known breast cancer. The initial PET/CT study for each patient was retrospectively reviewed to determine whether improved diagnostic confidence (IDC) regarding lesion localization and characterization was observed with PET/CT as compared with PET alone. PET/CT and CT findings were compared regarding lesion characterization and staging in 69 of the 75 patients, and in the case of discordant findings, comparison with histological or informative follow-up results was also performed.

Results

Fifty of the 75 patients exhibited increased FDG uptake in a total of 95 regions. In the comparison of PET/CT and PET, PET/CT resulted in IDC in 30 (60%) of these 50 patients and in 52 (55%) of the 95 regions. In the comparison between PET/CT and CT in 69 patients, PET/CT demonstrated a significantly better accuracy than CT (P<0.05). PET/CT showed definitely positive findings in 60 regions with malignancies, among which CT exhibited positive findings in 43 (72%). PET/CT and CT accurately staged 59 (86%) and 53 (77%) of the 69 patients, respectively.

Conclusions

PET/CT added incremental diagnostic confidence to PET in more than 50% of patients and regions with increased FDG uptake. PET/CT accurately detected more regions with malignancies than did CT. This initial evaluation suggests that PET/CT is preferable to PET or CT in the diagnosis of breast cancer.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, 601 N. Caroline St., Rm 3223A, Baltimore, MD, 21287-0817, USA

    Mitsuaki Tatsumi, Christian Cohade, Karen A. Mourtzikos & Richard L. Wahl

  2. Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Elliot K. Fishman

Authors
  1. Mitsuaki Tatsumi
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  2. Christian Cohade
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  3. Karen A. Mourtzikos
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  4. Elliot K. Fishman
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  5. Richard L. Wahl
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Richard L. Wahl.

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Tatsumi, M., Cohade, C., Mourtzikos, K.A. et al. Initial experience with FDG-PET/CT in the evaluation of breast cancer. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 33, 254–262 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-005-1835-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-005-1835-7

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