George Peters Award: How does breast-specific gamma imaging affect the management of patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer?
BACKGROUND
We sought to determine the number of patients with known breast cancer who were found to have an additional, mammographically occult lesion detected on breast-specific gamma imaging (BSGI).


METHODS
An institutional review board-approved review of all patients who underwent BSGI at Beth Israel Medical Center from 2006 to 2008 was performed.


RESULTS
A total of 82 patients underwent BSGI for newly diagnosed breast cancer. Of these, 18 had an additional abnormality, and 17 were biopsied. There were 4 cases of invasive ductal carcinoma, 1 invasive lobular carcinoma, 1 ductal carcinoma in situ, 1 lobular carcinoma in situ, 2 papillomas, and 8 benign biopsies. One patient proceeded directly to mastectomy and an area of ductal carcinoma in situ was found, corresponding to the BSGI.


CONCLUSIONS
In our study group, 22% of patients had a surgical change in management based on BSGI findings. BSGI detected additional carcinoma in 9%. BSGI plays an important role in the clinical management of patients with known breast cancer.
Beth Israel Medical Center, Phillips Ambulatory Care Center, 10 Union Square East, Suite 4E, New York, NY 10003, USA.
Brigid K
BK
Killelea
Alyssa
A
Gillego
Laurie J
LJ
Kirstein
Juhi
J
Asad
Marina
M
Shpilko
Avni
A
Shah
Sheldon
S
Feldman
Susan K
SK
Boolbol
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001940:Breast / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005720:Gamma Rays; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging