Impact of 18F-FDG PET/CT in the management decisions of breast cancer board on early-stage breast cancer.

PURPOSE: Breast cancer is the most common malignancy accounting for 11.7% of all cancer cases, with a rising incidence rate. Various diagnostic methods, including 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT), play a crucial role in breast cancer diagnosis and staging. However, the unnecessary use of advanced imaging techniques such as PET/CT in early-stage breast cancer can have negative effects on both economics and patients. We aimed to investigate the impact of PET/CT on the management decisions of early-stage breast cancer patients by the breast cancer tumor board. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on a cohort of 81 patients with early-stage breast cancer who were evaluated by breast cancer tumor board from January 2015 to December 2020. Demographic, clinical, and radiographic data, along with surgical procedures and treatment options, were documented and analyzed. RESULTS: The results showed that 18F-FDG PET/CT had a moderate impact on treatment decisions of breast cancer tumor board, as only treatment decisions were changed in 14,86% of the patients. The surgical procedure decision of breast cancer tumor board changed in 12.35% of patients, while 87.65% of patients had consistent decisions before and after PET/CT. Pathological assessments revealed invasive ductal carcinoma as the most prevalent tumor type, and molecular subtypes were predominantly luminal B. PET/CT use had limited impact on surgical procedures and did not significantly alter treatment decisions of breast cancer tumor board in this early-stage breast cancer cohort. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, this study highlights the importance of adherence to the guidelines and appropriate use of PET/CT in early-stage breast cancer management. PET/CT should be reserved for cases where it is clinically warranted, considering the potential economic burden and minimal impact on treatment decisions of breast cancer tumor board in this patient population.

Evaluation of 10-minute post-injection 11C-PiB PET and its correlation with 18F-FDG PET in older adults who are cognitively healthy, mildly impaired, or with probable Alzheimer's disease.

OBJECTIVE: Positron emission tomography (PET) allows in vivo evaluation of molecular targets in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease. Mild cognitive impairment is an intermediate stage between normal cognition and Alzheimer-type dementia. In vivo fibrillar amyloid-beta can be detected in PET using [11C]-labeled Pittsburgh compound B (11C-PiB). In contrast, [18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (18F-FDG) is a neurodegeneration biomarker used to evaluate cerebral glucose metabolism, indicating neuronal injury and synaptic dysfunction. In addition, early cerebral uptake of amyloid-PET tracers can determine regional cerebral blood flow. The present study compared early-phase 11C-PiB and 18F-FDG in older adults without cognitive impairment, amnestic mild cognitive impairment, and clinical diagnosis of probable Alzheimer's disease. METHODS: We selected 90 older adults, clinically classified as healthy controls, with amnestic mild cognitive impairment, or with probable Alzheimer's disease, who underwent an 18F-FDG PET, early-phase 11C-PiB PET and magnetic resonance imaging. All participants were also classified as amyloid-positive or -negative in late-phase 11C-PiB. The data were analyzed using statistical parametric mapping. RESULTS: We found that the probable Alzheimer's disease and amnestic mild cognitive impairment group had lower early-phase 11C-PiB uptake in limbic structures than 18F-FDG uptake. The images showed significant interactions between amyloid-beta status (negative or positive). However, early-phase 11C-PiB appears to provide different information from 18F-FDG about neurodegeneration. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that early-phase 11C-PiB uptake correlates with 18F-FDG, irrespective of the particular amyloid-beta status. In addition, we observed distinct regional distribution patterns between both biomarkers, reinforcing the need for more robust studies to investigate the real clinical value of early-phase amyloid-PET imaging.

Evaluation of 10-minute post-injection 11C-PiB PET and its correlation with 18F-FDG PET in older adults who are cognitively healthy, mildly impaired, or with probable Alzheimer's disease

Objective: Positron emission tomography (PET) allows in vivo evaluation of molecular targets in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease. Mild cognitive impairment is an intermediate stage between normal cognition and Alzheimer-type dementia. In vivo fibrillar amyloid-beta can be detected in PET using [11C]-labeled Pittsburgh compound B (11C-PiB). In contrast, [18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (18F-FDG) is a neurodegeneration biomarker used to evaluate cerebral glucose metabolism, indicating neuronal injury and synaptic dysfunction. In addition, early cerebral uptake of amyloid-PET tracers can determine regional cerebral blood flow. The present study compared early-phase 11C-PiB and 18F-FDG in older adults without cognitive impairment, amnestic mild cognitive impairment, and clinical diagnosis of probable Alzheimer's disease. Methods: We selected 90 older adults, clinically classified as healthy controls, with amnestic mild cognitive impairment, or with probable Alzheimer's disease, who underwent an 18F-FDG PET, early-phase 11C-PiB PET and magnetic resonance imaging. All participants were also classified as amyloid-positive or -negative in late-phase 11C-PiB. The data were analyzed using statistical parametric mapping. Results: We found that the probable Alzheimer's disease and amnestic mild cognitive impairment group had lower early-phase 11C-PiB uptake in limbic structures than 18F-FDG uptake. The images showed significant interactions between amyloid-beta status (negative or positive). However, early-phase 11C-PiB appears to provide different information from 18F-FDG about neurodegeneration. Conclusions: Our study suggests that early-phase 11C-PiB uptake correlates with 18F-FDG, irrespective of the particular amyloid-beta status. In addition, we observed distinct regional distribution patterns between both biomarkers, reinforcing the need for more robust studies to investigate the real clinical value of early-phase amyloid-PET imaging.