Preoperative PET/CT in early-stage breast cancer
Menée sur 103 patientes atteintes d'un cancer du sein récemment diagnostiqué et de stade précoce, cette étude évalue l'intérêt d'une tomographie numérique préopératoire à émission de positrons pour déterminer le stade de la maladie
Background: The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic and therapeutic impact of preoperative positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET/CT) in the initial staging of patients with early-stage breast cancer.Patients and methods: A total of 103 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed operable breast cancer with tumors ≥2 cm were independently examined preoperatively with conventional assessment (mammography, breast/axillary ultrasound, chest X-ray and blood samples) and PET/CT with no prior knowledge of the other.Results: PET/CT identified a primary tumor in all but three patients (97%). PET/CT solely detected distant metastases (ovary, bones and lung) in 6 patients and new primary cancers (ovary, lung) in another two patients, as well as 12 cases of extra-axillary lymph node involvement. In 15 patients (15%), extra-axillary malignancy was detected by PET/CT only, leading to an upgrade of initial staging in 14% (14/103) and ultimately a modification of planned treatment in 8% (8/103) of patients.Conclusions: PET/CT is a valuable tool to provide information on extra-axillary lymph node involvement, distant metastases and other occult primary cancers. Preoperative 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose–PET/CT has a substantial impact on initial staging and on clinical management in patients with early-stage breast cancer with tumors ≥2 cm.
Annals of Oncology , résumé, 2012