title: Investigations of breast tumors with fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose and SPECT.
abstract: METHODS
  We designed a prospective study to investigate the feasibility of combined FDG-SPECT and whole-body acquisition in the diagnostic work-up of breast tumors applying visual analysis. We studied 50 patients with breast tumors of unknown histology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All malignant diseases were accurately detected in tumors > 2.3 cm, while the smallest FDG-positive lesion was 1.4 cm. In a subgroup of these patients, quantitative evaluation (tumor-to-back-group ratios) was added, which improved the sensitivity. Lymph node metastases were accurately indicated in 9 of 13 patients, while the detection of distant metastases depended on the location and size. False-positive FDG scans were observed in inflamed tissue, in a rapidly growing phylloides tumor and in supposedly healthy breasts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results are comparable with prior investigations of other groups using PET. Therefore, FDG-SPECT and whole-body acquisition may be an adequate and less expensive technique to meet the increasing demand of FDG examinations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Clinics of Saarland, Homburg/Saar, Germany.
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Holle
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Trampert
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lung-Kurt
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Villena-Heinsen
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Püschel
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Oberhausen
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D003847:Deoxyglucose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D015902:Gamma Cameras; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
chemical_list: D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D003847:Deoxyglucose