Comparison of pharmacokinetic MRI and [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose PET in the diagnosis of breast cancer: initial experience

Abstract

It was the aim of this methodology-oriented clinical pilot study to compare the potential of dynamic MRI and 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) for the detection and characterization of breast cancer. Fourteen women with suspicious breast lesions were examined. The MRI data were acquired with a turbo fast low-angle shot sequence and analyzed using a pharmacokinetic model. Emission data were detected in the sensitive 3D modus, iteratively reconstructed, and superimposed onto corresponding transmission images. In the 14 patients, 13 breast masses with a suspicious contrast enhancement and FDG uptake were detected. For these lesions, no statistically significant correlation between evaluated MR and PET parameters was found. Of the 9 histologically confirmed carcinomas, 8 were correctly characterized with MRI and PET. Two inflammatory lesions were concordantly classified as cancer. Moreover, dynamic MRI yielded another false-positive finding. In 6 patients, PET detected occult lymph node and/or distant metastases. Although both functional imaging techniques provide independent tissue information, the results concerning the diagnosis of primary breast lesions were almost identical. An advantage of PET, however, is its ability to localize lymph node involvement and distant metastases as an integral part of the examination.

Chemotherapy Response Monitoring of Colorectal Liver Metastases by Dynamic Gd-DTPA–Enhanced MRI Perfusion Parameters and 18F-FDG PET Metabolic Rate

“…Our results confirm those of Brix et al (20), who found no correlation between k ep and 18 F-FDG uptake (standardized uptake value [SUV]) in breast cancer. Semple et al (21), however, found a positive correlation between k ep and SUV (r 5 0.5) and a positive, though nonsignificant, correlation between K trans and SUV in breast carcinoma patients before the commencement of treatment.…”

Improving Specificity of Breast MRI Using Prone PET and Fused MRI and PET 3D Volume Datasets

“…The breasts become markedly distorted when supine/prone images are registered and it is challenging to identify the corresponding lesion in all 3 orthogonal planes of the fused images (35). Several groups have suggested that an independent PET scan should be acquired in the prone position to increase the quality of PET in the breast (7,8,(36)(37)(38)(39)(40).…”

Quantifying dynamic contrast‐enhanced MRI of the knee in children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis using an arterial input function (AIF) extracted from popliteal artery enhancement, and the effect of the choice of the AIF on the kinetic parameters

“…͔, [5] where S t (t) ϭ MRI signal over the tissue; ⌫ and ⌫ I ϭ gamma and incomplete gamma functions, respectively; K transЈ ϭ (T 10t ⅐ r 1t ⅐ ␣) K trans ; and V p Ј ϭ (T 10t ⅐ r 1t ⅐ ␣) p (where T 10t ϭ value of T 1 before contrast over the tissue, and r 1t ϭ relaxivity in tissue).…”

“…As a consequence, pharmacokinetic modeling has been widely used as a quantitative method in various studies, including brain tumors (1)(2)(3)(4), breast tumors (5)(6)(7)(8), and myocardium perfusion (9,10).…”