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Scintimammography using Tc-99m tetrofosmin
P Lind1, H W Umschaden, E Forsthuber
1Department of Nuclear Medicine and Special Endocrinology, Institute of Pathology, Klagenfurt, Austria.
Acta Medica Austriaca
|January 1, 1997
Summary
This study shows Tc-99m tetrofosmin scintimammography effectively identifies breast cancer in suspicious lesions. With high negative predictive value (NPV), it can significantly reduce unnecessary biopsies and surgeries for women.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Radiology
- Nuclear Medicine
Background:
- Breast cancer screening relies on mammography, but its low specificity necessitates further investigation.
- Advanced imaging like ultrasonography (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) improve diagnosis but still lack definitive specificity.
- Current diagnostic methods often lead to invasive procedures like biopsy or surgery due to indeterminate results.
Purpose of the Study:
- To prospectively evaluate the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of scintimammography using Tc-99m tetrofosmin.
- To assess the diagnostic performance of Tc-99m tetrofosmin scintimammography in patients with mammographically suspicious breast lesions.
- To determine if Tc-99m tetrofosmin scintimammography can reduce the need for invasive diagnostic procedures.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study involving 137 patients with suspicious mammographic or ultrasonographic breast lesions.
- Tc-99m tetrofosmin scintimammography was performed after intravenous injection, including planar imaging and SPECT with 3-D reconstruction.
- Histological evaluation via biopsy and/or surgery was conducted for 84 patients to confirm diagnosis.
Main Results:
- Planar Tc-99m tetrofosmin scintimammography showed 90% sensitivity, 80% specificity, 71% PPV, and 93% NPV.
- SPECT imaging with Tc-99m tetrofosmin improved performance to 93% sensitivity, 76% specificity, 68% PPV, and 95% NPV.
- The tracer accumulated in both malignant tumors and highly cellular fibroadenomas, but the high NPV effectively ruled out cancer.
Conclusions:
- Tc-99m tetrofosmin scintimammography demonstrates high sensitivity and NPV in diagnosing suspicious breast lesions.
- The high NPV of this imaging technique can significantly reduce the number of unnecessary biopsies and surgeries.
- Tc-99m tetrofosmin scintimammography is a valuable tool for improving breast cancer diagnostic accuracy and patient management.