Additional value of PET-CT in staging of clinical stage IIB and III breast cancer.
To evaluate retrospectively the accuracy of integrated PET/CT, against PET, CT, or conventional staging in breast cancer. Seventy consecutive biopsy proven clinical stage IIB and III breast cancer patients were included. Descriptive statistics of integrated PET/CT for the primary tumor, nodal status and metastasis detection were compared to PET, CT with contrast, and conventional staging (biochemistry, chest X-ray, liver ultrasound, and bone scintigraphy). Sensitivity of PET/CT for primary tumor and nodal status was 97.1% and 62.5%, respectively. Specificity and negative predictive value for nodal status were 100% and 66.6%, respectively. The values for conventional staging for nodal involvement were 100% and 85.7% with a sensitivity of 87.5%. PET/CT showed metastatic disease in seven women despite normal conventional staging. PET/CT is able to visualize most clinical stage IIB and III primary breast cancers. PET/CT is superior to conventional staging for detecting internal mammary chain nodes and metastatic disease, but not for axillary staging. Future studies will have to test whether therapy adjustment based on PET/CT has the potential to improve survival.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. isabellesegaert@hotmail.com
Isabelle
I
Segaert
Felix
F
Mottaghy
Sarah
S
Ceyssens
Walter
W
De Wever
Sigrid
S
Stroobants
Chantal
C
Van Ongeval
Eric
E
Van Limbergen
Hans
H
Wildiers
Robert
R
Paridaens
Ignace
I
Vergote
Marie-Rose
MR
Christiaens
Patrick
P
Neven
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*