Comparison of FDG-PET with MIBI-SPECT in the detection of breast cancer and axillary lymph node metastasis.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this work was to compare [18F]2-deoxy-2-fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) PET and 99mTc-methoxyisobutylisonitrile (MIBI) SPECT in the detection of breast cancer and axillary lymph node metastasis in the same patients.

METHOD:

FDG-PET and MIBI-SPECT were performed within 3 days for 40 women (age range 25-86 years old) with suspected breast cancer, in whom biopsies and/or mastectomies were performed. Both images were visually assessed, and the count ratio between tumor and normal tissue (T/N ratio) was calculated.

RESULTS:

Thirty-eight patients had breast cancer, and the remaining two had benign breast lesions. The sensitivities of FDG-PET and MIBI-SPECT were 78.9 and 76.3% for breast cancer and 50.0 and 37.5% for axillary lymph node metastasis, respectively. The T/N ratio of breast cancer was significantly higher in FDG-PET (6.01 +/- 3.08 mean +/- SD) than that in MIBI-SPECT (3.48 +/- 1.21) (p = 0.01). Nonmalignant diffuse uptake of FDG in the breasts and the accumulation of MIBI in heart and liver occasionally obscured tumor uptake.

CONCLUSION:

These results indicate that MIBI-SPECT is comparable with FDG-PET in detecting breast cancer. Neither FDG-PET nor MIBI-SPECT is sufficiently sensitive to rule out axillary lymph node metastasis.

• Authors: K Yutani, E Shiba, H Kusuoka, M Tatsumi, T Uehara, T Taguchi, S I Takai, T Nishimura
• Journal: Journal of computer assisted tomography (J Comput Assist Tomogr) 2000 Mar-Apr Vol. 24 Issue 2 Pg. 274-80 ISSN: 0363-8715 [Print] United States
• PMID: 10752892 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Comparative Study, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
• Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Axilla
• Biopsy
• Breast Neoplasms (diagnostic imaging, metabolism)
• Carcinoma (diagnostic imaging, secondary)
• Diagnosis, Differential
• Female
• Fibroadenoma (diagnostic imaging)
• Fibrocystic Breast Disease (diagnostic imaging)
• Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 (pharmacokinetics)
• Humans
• Liver (metabolism)
• Lymphatic Metastasis
• Mammography (methods)
• Middle Aged
• Myocardium (metabolism)
• Predictive Value of Tests
• Sensitivity and Specificity
• Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi (pharmacokinetics)
• Tomography, Emission-Computed (methods)
• Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon