The role of PET CT to evaluate the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in advanced breast cancer: comparison with ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging.
BACKGROUND
Recently PET is emerged as a method to estimate the response of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in advanced breast cancer. This study is aimed to estimate the predictive role of PET CT and other imaging modalities (ultrasound, MRI) through NAC.


METHODS
PET CT was acquired before and after NAC from 41 patients. Pathologic results were classified as pathological complete response (pCR) and non-pCR. The results of clinical responses were assessed with imaging indexes (postTx, postchemotherapy size or peak standardized uptake values (pSUV); delta, the size difference between treatment; RR, reduction rate of tumor size or pSUV), and they were compared with pathologic results.


RESULTS
Seven patients (17.1%) showed pCR. As a result of comparison of the image index, all image indexes of MRI were predictive for pCR (P < 0.05). In contrast, only delta and RR of US, RR of PET CT were significant. The area under curve of delta and RR in MRI were higher (0.91, 0.90) than US (0.83, 0.80) and PET CT (0.62, 0.72). The MRI is superior to the US or PET CT.


CONCLUSIONS
We have concluded that the MRI is better than PET CT for monitoring the effect of NAC in advanced breast cancer.
Choi
Jae Hyuck
JH
Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Gangnam-Gu, Seoul, Korea.
Lim
Hye In
HI
Lee
Se Kyung
SK
Kim
Wan Wook
WW
Kim
Sang Min
SM
Cho
Eunyoon
E
Ko
Eun Young
EY
Han
Boo-Kyung
BK
Park
Yeon Hee
YH
Ahn
Jin-Seok
JS
Im
Young-Hyuck
YH
Lee
Jeong Eon
JE
Yang
Jung-Hyun
JH
Nam
Seok Jin
SJ
D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016217:Ultrasonography, Mammary / Q000379:methods*