SPECT/CT imaging in breast cancer - current status and challenges

Abstract

Background. The increasing incidence of breast cancer worldwide raises the importance of improving imaging techniques for disease stratification after early lesion detection. SPECT/CT imaging is now widely available but its diagnostic potential is not fully utilized for more specific purposes including breast cancer patient stratification. Methods and Results. A Pubmed search for both original and review articles related to the value of SPECT/CT in breast cancer patients and comparison to other diagnostic methods. 62 articles were found using the key words SPECT/CT, Fusion Image and Breast Cancer. Development of a new generation of SPECT/CT systems and their introduction into practice has changed the old diagnostic algorithm. The increasing importance of SPECT/CT in the detection of bone metastases is confirmed. The diagnostic accuracy of new SPECT/CT instruments in the diagnostics of bone metastases is nearly comparable to PET/CT scans. SPECT/CT is more widely available and costs less than PET. It is able not only to identify a sentinel lymph nodes in atypical localizations but also to detect sentinel lymph nodes non visualized on previous planar scans. SPECT/CT offers precise anatomic localization of sentinel lymph nodes, thereby facilitating surgery. Knowledge of precise sentinel lymph node localization can also be applied in radiotherapy. Conclusions. The role of hybrid SPECT/CT imaging in breast cancer patients is changing. It is a powerful modality for skeletal and nodal staging in breast cancer patients with important impact on therapy.

PET/CT and SPECT/CT Imaging of HER2-Positive Breast Cancer

“…Combined, SPECT/CT can be diagnostic by fusing morphologic and functional information, for example by detecting the precise locations of tumor metastases and mapping lymphatic drainage. The latter point specifically, and the resulting ability to help precisely localize lymph nodes, is an emerging application of SPECT/CT as sentinel lymph node dissection replaces axillary lymph node dissection for initial breast cancer staging [51]. Diagnostically, SPECT/CT has been shown to be as accurate as PET/CT while also providing the advantage of being more widely available and less costly [51].…”

Diagnostic Accuracy of V/Q and Q SPECT/CT in Patients with Suspected Acute Pulmonary Embolism: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

“…In addition to traditional planar scan, single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) allows obtaining a three-dimensional view of V/Q and Q pulmonary data that may be implemented by the means of low-dose CT (SPECT/CT) to combine both functional and anatomic information. 8 9 10 SPECT/CT is a hybrid imaging which may be a useful alternative to CTPA and to planar V/Q scintigraphy, due to its several potential strengths. First, CT images are acquired using low-dose techniques that are sufficient for attenuation correction purposes and reduce radiation exposure (radiation effective dose is 2.5–3.6 mSv, in comparison with 3–10 mSv for CTPA).…”

Synthesis, radiolabelling, and biological assessment of folic acid‐conjugated G‐3 99m Tc‐dendrimer as the breast cancer molecular imaging agent

“…The current detecting methods for breast cancer are digital mammography [9, 10], computer‐aided detection (CAD) [11, 12], ultrasound imaging [13], and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) [14, 15]. Moreover, there are some other imaging technologies under development for breast cancer detection, including positron emission tomography (PET) [16, 17], single‐photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) [18], and SPECT/CT imaging. Despite their versatility in cancer detection, they are not very powerful methods, in the traditional form, when it comes to cancer detection at very early stages.…”