title: Molecular imaging for the characterization of breast tumors.
abstract: Recently, molecular imaging, using various techniques, has been assessed for breast imaging. Molecular imaging aims to quantify and visualize biological, physiological, and pathological processes at the cellular and molecular levels to further elucidate the development and progression of breast cancer and the response to treatment. Molecular imaging enables the depiction of tumor morphology, as well as the assessment of functional and metabolic processes involved in cancer development at different levels. To date, molecular imaging techniques comprise both nuclear medicine and radiological techniques. This review aims to summarize the current and emerging functional and metabolic techniques for the molecular imaging of breast tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided therapy, Division of Molecular and Gender Imaging, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Heinrich Florian
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Magometschnigg
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Helbich
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brader
authors.forename: Oshaani
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Abeyakoon
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Baltzer
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Füger
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wengert
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Polanec
authors.forename: Hubert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bickel
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pinker
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000098:blood supply / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D004958:Estradiol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D005260:Female; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008327:Mammography / Q000379:methods; D057054:Molecular Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D066244:Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi
chemical_list: C545716:18-fluoro-17-estradiol; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D004958:Estradiol; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi
keywords: MR spectroscopy; MRI; breast; breast tumors; molecular imaging; nuclear imaging; radiotracers