[Detection of multi-focal breast carcinoma using 2[18F] fluoro-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography...

The elevated rate of glycolysis in malignomas compared to normal tissues can be visualised by positron-emission-tomography (PET) using 2[18F]fluoro-deoxy-D-Glucose (FDG). Based on the case of a 38-year old woman with multifocal carcinoma of the right breast (pT1 c pN0 M0, G2) as a vehicle, we describe a FDG-PET procedure which is comparable to established methods of nuclear medicine (e.g. bone scan) with regard to patient's burden and time consumption and could be used on a routine basis. This technique allowed correct assessment of suspicious breast findings and visualised multifocal growth of a tumour which was judged to be a unifocal breast cancer by conventional methods of clinical examination, mammography and ultrasound.