title: F-18-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography in the follow-up of breast cancer with elevated levels of tumor markers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The value of combined positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) in the follow-up of patients with breast cancer with elevated tumor markers but without proven metastases or local recurrence was assessed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-four women underwent PET/CT. The PET and CT images were first analyzed separately; fused findings were then interpreted, blinded to the results of the other modalities. The results of CT, PET, and PET/CT were compared with each other and correlated to the final diagnosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The PET/CT identified 149 malignant foci in 24 patients (71%). The CT detected 96 of these foci in 18 patients, whereas PET identified 124 foci in 17 patients. Differences between CT and PET were not significant. Differences between PET/CT and CT (P < 0.01) and PET/CT and PET (P < 0.01) were significant. The person-based sensitivity of PET/CT, PET, and CT was 96%, 88% and 96%, respectively. Specificity of PET/CT, PET, and CT was 89%, 78%, and 78%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The PET/CT is a valuable modality for the follow-up of patients with breast cancer and elevated levels of tumor markers.
authors: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Germany. alexander.haug@med.uni-muenchen.de
authors: Alexander Robert
authors: AR
authors: Haug
authors: Gerwin Paul
authors: GP
authors: Schmidt
authors: Annemarie
authors: A
authors: Klingenstein
authors: Volker
authors: V
authors: Heinemann
authors: Petra
authors: P
authors: Stieber
authors: Markus
authors: M
authors: Priebe
authors: Christian
authors: C
authors: la Fougère
authors: Christoph
authors: C
authors: Becker
authors: Klaus
authors: K
authors: Hahn
authors: Reinhold
authors: R
authors: Tiling
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D018396:Mucin-1 / Q000097:blood; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018396:Mucin-1; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18