Role of Contrast Enhanced Computed Tomography Scan in Diagnosis of Local Spread, Distant Metastasis and Staging of Breast Carcinoma

Abstract

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer death for women worldwide. The accurate clinical staging of patients with breast cancer is important in determining the most appropriate treatment. The present study investigated the value of staging CECT in detecting asymptomatic distant (lung, liver and bone) metastases in patients with primary breast cancer. Material And Method: 30 patients with Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System category (BI-RADS) 4, 5 and 6 lesions underwent unenhanced breast CTand contrast material enhanced CTbefore histopathological correlation. Result And Discussion: In present study, 5(16.6%) cases shows metastasis into the lungs, 3(10%) cases shows metastasis into the liver, 3(10%) cases shows metastasis into the bones, 1(3.3%)case show metastasis into multiple site(lung and liver), 18(60%) cases shows no any evidence of metastasis. By contrast, 12 of 30 patients (40%) with stage III were upstaged to stage IV and 13 patients (43.3%) of those were originally stage IIIB or IIIC. Conclusion:CECTappears as an essential imaging modality to detect presence, extent and localisation of metastasis.