Takayoshi Uematsu MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Masako Kasami, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

The purpose of this study was to compare the accuracy of FDG PET and MRI for the preoperative assessment of the tumor extent of breast cancer and to evaluate the impact of FDG PET on the systemic staging and also for predicting the prognosis of patients who are candidates for breast-conserving therapy.

The study was a prospective series of 23 breasts with breast cancer who underwent both FDG PET and MRI before surgery. The FDG PET and MRI images were independently interpreted by one of two radiologists with knowledge of the clinical and mammograpic findings. The systemic staging with FDG PET was also performed. The correlation between the results of these examinations with the histological findings was thus examined. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of the tumors was investigated in association with the patient prognoses.

Of the 23 index breast tumors, 23 (100%) could be detected on MRI and 21 (91%) were detected on FDG PET. For evaluating the local tumor extent, the accuracy of FDG PET (43.5%) was significantly lower than that of MRI (91%) (p<0.001). The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of FDG PET regarding the nodal status were 60%, 94%, and 87%, respectively. No patients demonstrated any distant metastasis, whereas the FDG PET findings were false positive in one patient. The mean follow-up period was 61 months. The SUVmax value of the worse prognosis patient group was significantly higher than that of the good prognosis patient group (p=0.032).

FDG PET is not a breast imaging modality for evaluating the local tumor extent but it is useful in predicting the prognosis of patients who are candidates for breast-conserving therapy.

FDG PET may be  a useful noninvasive imaging technique for selecting high-risk and low-risk patients who are candidates for BCT at the time of primary surgery.

Uematsu, T, Kasami, M, Comparison the FDG PET and MRI Findings to Evaluated the Tumor Extension of Breast Cancer and the Impact of FDG PET on the Systemic Staging and Prognosis of Patients Who Are Candidates for Breast-conserving Therapy.  Radiological Society of North America 2008 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, February 18 - February 20, 2008 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2008/6012115.html