title: 99mTc-methionine scintimammography in the evaluation of breast cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The diagnostic utility of a C-methionine scan has been established in breast cancer. We were able to radiolabel methionine with Tc at our institute. Thus, we undertook clinical trials to determine the role of Tc-methionine scans in the detection of breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Scintimammography was performed in 47 female (median age 44 years, range 28-68 years) patients having palpable breast masses. All of them underwent ultrasound, mammography, fine-needle aspiration cytology, and Tc-methionine scintimammography before surgery. The final diagnosis was made after histopathological examination. Tc-methionine scintimammography was done after injecting 555 MBq of radiotracer intravenously. The results of scintimammography were compared with histopathology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The histopathological findings were malignant in 33 (70%) and benign in 14 (30%) cases. Scintimammography showed true-positive findings in 29 patients out of 33 cases of breast cancer. True-negative findings were found in 13 out of 14 patients having benign breast lesions. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value were found to be 87.8, 92.8, and 96.6% respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tc-methionine imaging can provide useful information with reasonably high sensitivity and specificity in evaluating patients having breast masses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences, Delhi, India. drrsms@rediffmail.com
authors.forename: Rajnish
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Madhavi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tripathi
authors.forename: Puja
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Panwar
authors.forename: Krishna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chuttani
authors.forename: Abhinav
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jaimini
authors.forename: Sudeshna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maitra
authors.forename: Mahinder Kumar
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Chopra
authors.forename: Krishan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sawroop
authors.forename: Gauri
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shukla
authors.forename: Anupam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mondal
authors.forename: Anil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mishra
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001940:Breast / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008715:Methionine / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013667:Technetium; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D051598:Whole Body Imaging
chemical_list: D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013667:Technetium; D008715:Methionine