Role of Positron Emission Mammography in Diagnosis of malignant Breast Tumors

Abstract

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION reast cancer remains the most prevalent cancer in women of developed countries with great social and economic impact. The scientific community is therefore focused on improving imaging methods for screening and staging of breast cancer. Conventional screening has traditionally included a combination of breast self-examination, clinical breast examination, and screening mammography. Although current imaging modalities such as mammography, ultrasonography, and magnetic resonance imaging focus on an anatomic approach, they do not provide sufficient data about the pathophysiology of malignant breast lesions. Positron emission mammography (PEM) is an innovative technology specifically designed to visualize the physiologic and metabolic processes in malignant breast lesions and can be performed on patients unable to have an MRI scan. The technology of PEM and PET are similar in that they both provide functional imaging employing 18F-FDG. However, PEM is optimized for small body parts and utilizes gentle immobilization of the breast to attain higher spatial resolution (1–2 mm for PEM vs 4–6 mm for PET), as well as minimize the radiation dose by reducing breast thickness. B Summary and Conclusion 93 Breast density, hormone replacement therapy, and menopausal status did not interfere with lesion detection with PEM. These factors are known to affect the glandular tissue of the breast and make interpretation of classic imaging modalities (mammography and MRI) challenging as far as cancer detection is conc