Michelle Phillips MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Marie Tartar MD, Abstract Co-Author: Consultant, Johnson & Johnson

To determine the clinical utility of adding BSGI to breast conventional imaging (CI), namely mammography and ultrasound, in pre-surgical planning for patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer, including determination of sensitivity and specificity.

Retrospective review was performed of records (including clinician notes, imaging studies, and pathology reports) of all patients with new diagnoses of breast cancer at Scripps Clinic in 2009 who had BSGI prior to cancer surgery, with at least one-year follow-up available on the majority of patients.

58 female patients who had BSGI in the setting of newly diagnosed breast cancer were identified. Average age was 54.6 years. 47/58 (81%) had dense breast tissue on mammography. Pathologic diagnoses included 17 ductal carcinoma in situ, 22 invasive ductal carcinoma, 2 invasive lobular carcinoma, and 17 mixed cancer types. BSGI identified an additional lesion or otherwise significantly changed management in 9/58 (16%) cases. Findings were concordant with CI in 36/58 (62%) patients. Equivocal findings compromised the additive clinical utility of the BSGI study in 13/58 (22%) cases. 3 patients underwent additional biopsies and 5 received additional imaging studies (8/57, 14%). Follow-up was available to an average of 426 days.

BSGI confirmed, clarified or added to findings on CI in 78% of patients, significantly changing management in 16%. In our experience, BSGI proves to be a cost-effective, well-tolerated, sensitive and specific adjunct modality for enhancing pre-surgical planning for patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer, especially in relatively young female patients with dense breast tissue.

BSGI can provide important additional information to conventional imaging in the initial diagnostic workup and surgical planning for patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer.

Phillips, M, Tartar, M, Evaluation of the Impact of Breast-specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI) on Presurgical Planning for Patients with Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer.  Radiological Society of North America 2011 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 26 - December 2, 2011 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2011/11010639.html