[Added value of prone position technique for PET-TAC in breast cancer patients].
OBJECTIVE
This study has aimed to assess if the prone position shows significant differences in regards to the supine position in PET/CT studies in breast cancer patients and to determine which modality offers better evaluation of the images.


METHODS
A total of 30 patients were included from October 2009 to February 2010 prior to beginning neoadjuvant chemotherapy. An intravenous (18)F-FDG dose ranging from 180 to 240 MBq was administered. Image acquisition was begun 60 ± 10 min after injection. First of all, a thorax scan was performed with the patient in prone position, followed by a whole body study with the patient in supine position.


RESULTS
Uptake in tumor lesions was observed in all of the patients. Twenty-four patients (80%) had the same number of lesions with both techniques. Five patients (17%) had a different amount of axillary lymph nodes. One patient (3.3%) had a different number of lesions. The prone position lesions had a mean SUVmax 8.89 ± 4.18 compared to 7.67 ± 4.34 in supine position. The areas of the primary breast lesions were higher in the prone position (8.59 ± 7.80 compared with 7.81 ± 7.39). Mean SUVmax of axillary nodes was 5.97 ± 4.02 in prone and 4.41 ± 3.10 in supine.


CONCLUSIONS
The hanging breast technique can achieve higher lesion visualization as well as higher semiquantitative values in comparison with standard procedure. This supports its inclusion in acquisition guidelines of PET/CT imaging in breast cancer patients.
Vidal-Sicart
S
S
Servicio de Medicina Nuclear, CDIC, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, Barcelona, España. svidal@clinic.ub.es
Aukema
T S
TS
Vogel
W V
WV
Hoefnagel
C A
CA
Valdés-Olmos
R A
RA
D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D016684:Prone Position; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18