Authors' objectives:

Within breast cancer diagnostic techniques we can find the Positron Emission Tomography (PET). It is an imaging diagnostic technique that requires the previous injection of an emitting radioactive positron tracer. The objective of this review is to assess the effectiveness and safety of 18-FDG‑PET in evaluating breast cancer in the main indications comparing the outcomes with other imaging techniques.

Authors' recommendations: FDG‑PET does not have enough sensitivity to rule out primary tumors of small size. FDG‑PET does not replace the confirmation obtained with axillary dissection due to their elevated rate of false negatives. Nevertheless, sentinel lymph node biopsy could be avoided in patients with positive axillary FDG‑PET, since its values of specificity and positive predictive value are elevated. FDG‑PET is more sensible and specific than the conventional imaging techniques in the detection of metastases, it is comparable to other noninvasive techniques and its sensitivity increases in combination with other techniques. In relation with the treatment evaluation, we cannot assure that a complete pathological response observed with FDG‑PET is accompanied for a disease absence. It is necessary to standardize in the studies some aspects of the technology like technical characteristics of the FDG‑PET and the use of a gold standard. Comparative studies of higher quality and follow up are needed comparing FDG‑PET with the alternative techniques that today are considered of reference to assess the breast cancer in all its indications.

Project Status: Completed

Year Published: 2007

URL for published report: http://www.madrid.org/cs/Satellite?blobcol=urldata&blobheader=application%2Fpdf&blobheadername1=Content-Disposition&blobheadervalue1=filename%3DTomograf%C3%ADa+por+Emisi%C3%B3n+de+Positrones.pdf&blobkey=id&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobwhere=1202744298583&ssbinary=true

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: Spain

Organisation Name: Unidad de Evaluacion de Tecnologias Sanitarias

Contact Address: Elena Andradas Aragones, Unidad de Evaluacion de Tecnologias Sanitarias, Agencia Lain Entralgo, C/ Gran Via, 27, 8a, ES-28013 Madrid, Spain. Tel: +34 91 3089418; Fax: +34 91 3089458;

Contact Name: elena.andradas@salud.madrid.org

Contact Email: elena.andradas@salud.madrid.org

Copyright: <p>Unidad de Evaluacion de Tecnologias Sanitarias (UETS)</p>