Scintimammographic analysis of nonpalpable breast lesions previously identified by conventional mammography.
BACKGROUND
In randomized trials, screening mammography has led to decreased mortality from breast cancer. However, the low positive predictive value of mammography (i.e., the proportion of patients with a positive test result who actually have breast cancer) results in a large number of unnecessary biopsies. We determined whether scintimammography with technetium-99m-sestamibi is a useful supplemental diagnostic tool for women with nonpalpable breast abnormalities identified by conventional mammography.


METHODS
Scintimammography was performed preoperatively on 70 women who were 31-66 years of age (mean age and median age = 51 years). These women had nonpalpable breast abnormalities identified by conventional mammography; subsequently, a needle-localization excisional biopsy of each suspicious lesion was performed. Scintimammographic images were interpreted independently by two nuclear medicine physicians who were blinded to all clinical and pathologic data, and an interobserver variation analysis was performed.


RESULTS
Interobserver variation analysis of the scintimammographic findings showed an agreement for breast diagnosis of 97% and a kappa coefficient of 0.90. Comparison of scintimammographic findings and histopathologic results revealed that the sensitivity (proportion of patients with breast cancer who had a positive test result), the specificity (proportion of patients without breast cancer who had a negative test result), the positive predictive value and the negative predictive value (proportion of patients with a negative test result who actually did not have breast cancer) of scintimammography were 56% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 23%-85%), 87% (95% CI = 75%-94%), 38% (95% CI = 15%-68%), and 93% (95% CI = 82%-98%), respectively. Four of nine breast cancers were not detected by scintimammography.


CONCLUSIONS
Because of excellent interobserver agreement, scintimammography provides an objective way of detecting primary breast carcinoma. In view of its low sensitivity and positive predictive value, however, scintimammography is not currently recommended as a screening test in patients with nonpalpable positive mammographic findings.
Tolmos
J
J
Department of Surgery, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA.
Cutrone
J A
JA
Wang
B
B
Vargas
H I
HI
Stuntz
M
M
Mishkin
F S
FS
Diggles
L E
LE
Venegas
R J
RJ
Klein
S R
SR
Khalkhali
I
I
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D002285:Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography / Q000379:methods*; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D010173:Palpation; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi
D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi