title: Potential of dual-time-point imaging to improve breast cancer diagnosis with (18)F-FDG PET.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to assess the utility of dual-time-point imaging for identifying malignant lesions in the breast by (18)F-FDG PET.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-four breast cancer patients with 57 breast lesions underwent 2 sequential PET scans (dual-time-point imaging). The average percent change in standardized uptake values (SUVs) between time point 1 and time point 2 was calculated. All PET study results were correlated with follow-up surgical pathology results.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 57 breast lesions, 39 were invasive carcinoma and 18 were postbiopsy inflammation. Among the invasive carcinoma lesions, 33 (85%) showed an increase and 6 (15%) showed either no change or a decrease in SUVs over time. The percent change in SUVs from time point 1 to time point 2 (mean +/- SD) was +12.6% +/- 11.4% (P = 0.003). Of the 18 inflammatory lesions, 3 (17%) showed an increase and 15 (83%) showed either no change or a decrease in SUVs. The percent change in SUVs from time point 1 to time point 2 (mean +/- SD) was -10.2% +/- 16.5% (P = 0.03). Of the 57 normal contralateral breasts, 2 (3.5%) showed an increase and 55 (96.5%) showed either no change or a decrease in SUVs. The percent change in SUVs from time point 1 to time point 2 (mean +/- SD) was -15.8% +/- 17% (P = 0.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is increasing uptake of (18)F-FDG over time in breast malignancies, whereas the uptake of (18)F-FDG in inflammatory lesions and normal breast tissues decreases over time. A percent change of +3.75 or more in SUVs over time is highly sensitive and specific in differentiating inflammatory lesions from malignant lesions.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Rakesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Vilert A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Loving
authors.forename: Anil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chauhan
authors.forename: Hongming
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.forename: Schnall
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: Abass
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alavi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013382:Subtraction Technique; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18