A meta-analysis of scintimammography: an evidence-based approach to its clinical utility.
BACKGROUND
Scintimammography using (99m)Tc-labelled isonitriles, sestamibi and tetrofosmin, has become a mature technique in the adjunctive setting for the diagnosis of primary breast cancer. To establish an evidence base for its use, clinically, a meta-analysis was performed on both single-site and multi-centre trials performed since January 1997.


METHODS
Using an on-line literature search all such trials containing 100 or more studies were identified. To prevent double counting of patients only the last published report from any centre was used.


RESULTS
A total of 2424 patients were identified in the single-site trial group, the smallest study having 105 patients and the largest 353 patients. The overall sensitivity was 85% and the specificity was 84%. In the multi-centre trial studies, published data from 3049 patients were included. The overall sensitivity in this group was also 85% and the specificity was 83%.


CONCLUSIONS
There is evidence that this is a robust imaging technique delivering high sensitivities and specificities in patients studied in both single-centre and multi-centre trials and, as such, can be relied on as an adjunctive method for the investigation of primary breast cancer.
Hussain
Rahain
R
Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Ultrasound, BSM Medical University Campus, BAEC, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Buscombe
John R
JR
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011379:Prognosis; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity