Aportación de la tomografía por emisión de positrones a la detección y estadificación del cáncer de mama / Contribution of positron emission tomography to the detection and staging of breast cancer

Introducción. La tomografía por emisión de positrones con 18F-fluorodeoxiglucosa (PET-FDG) es una técnica de diagnóstico por la imagen con numerosas aplicaciones en el campo de la oncología. En el cáncer de mama, concretamente, una de sus indicaciones más prometedoras es la estadificación no invasiva, tanto de la afección ganglionar como a distancia, lo cual tendría importantes repercusiones pronósticas y terapéuticas. Material y método. Se ha realizado una revisión de la bibliografía disponible sobre la utilidad de la PETFDG en la detección y estadificación del cáncer de mama. Se incluyen los resultados de la experiencia propia en nuestro centro. Resultados. La PET-FDG tiene especial interés para la detección de tumores en mamas densas, para la determinación de lesiones múltiples y para las mamas protésicas. En la estadificación ganglionar, la PET-FDG presenta una baja sensibilidad, por lo que no puede sustituir el estudio histológico y del ganglio centinela, pero es más exacta que otros métodos no invasivos y es especialmente útil en la valoración de la cadena mamaria interna. En la estadificación a distancia, la PET-FDG puede reemplazar y optimizar otros métodos de imagen habituales, sobre todo en casos de afección locorregional avanzada, elevación de marcadores tumorales y en la caracterización de hallazgos dudosos en la imagen anatómica o gammagráfica. Conclusiones. La PET-FDG tiene un importante impacto en el estudio de extensión del cáncer de mama, y complementa e incluso sustituye la información aportada por otras técnicas diagnósticas; asimismo, modifica el estadio tumoral en un elevado número de pacientes (AU)

Introduction. 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) is a diagnostic imaging tool with multiple applications in oncology. One of the more promising applications in breast cancer is noninvasive lymph node staging and detection of distant metastases, which may provide useful information about prognosis and treatment response. Material and method. Published studies on FDGPET applications in breast cancer detection and staging were reviewed. We also present our own experience in patients referred for preoperative staging of breast cancer. Results. FDG-PET is very useful in evaluating dense breasts, multicentric disease and breast prostheses. The sensitivity of FDG-PET for nodal staging is low, and consequently it cannot replace either sentinel lymph node biopsy or histologic examination. However, it is more accurate than another noninvasive techniques and is very useful in internal mammary node chain evaluation. FDG-PET can improve and maybe replace conventional imaging in detecting metastatic disease, especially in high risk patients with locoregionally advanced recurrent breast cancer or increased serum tumor markers, and helps to characterize unclear findings of anatomic imaging techniques or scintigraphy. Conclusions. FDG-PET is useful in breast cancer staging. It complements and even improves information from other diagnostic techniques and changes therapeutic management in a high proportion of patients (AU)

Tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) in breast cancer: relationship with clinicopathological parameters and prognostic significance.

BACKGROUND: Tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) is a serine protease primarily involved in the intravascular dissolution of blood clots. High intratumoral tPA levels are associated with prognosis in several human tumors. In addition, tPA has been shown to be an estrogen-inducible protein in human breast cancer cell lines. The aim of the present study was to analyze the cytosolic tPA content in primary breast carcinomas and its potential clinical value. MATERIALS AND METHODS: tPA was measured by a solid-phase enzyme immunoassay in tumor cytosol samples obtained from 800 patients with breast cancer. The median follow-up period was of 49.2 months. RESULTS: Cytosolic tPA levels ranged widely in breast carcinomas (median: 3.9; range: 0.1- 315.3 ng/mg protein). tPA levels were significantly lower in large tumors, as well as in those showing poor differentiation, estrogen (ER) or PgR-negativity, aneuploidy, or a high S-phase fraction. In addition, low tPA intratumoral levels were associated with a high probability of both shortened relapse-free and overall survival in all patients and in the subgroup with node-negative tumors. However, our results did not show any significant relationship between intratumoral tPA levels and prognosis in the different subgroups of patients, stratified according to the type of systemic adjuvant therapy received (chemotherapy, tamoxifen or chemotherapy plus sequential tamoxifen). CONCLUSION: The results of the present investigation indicate that low intratumoral tPA levels are associated with aggressiveness and poor prognosis in breast cancer patients. However, the study suggests that tPA levels do not predict response to systemic adjuvant therapy.

[Contribution of positron emission tomography to the detection and staging of breast cancer]. / Aportación de la tomografía por emisión de positrones a la detección y estadificación del cáncer de mama.

INTRODUCTION: 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) is a diagnostic imaging tool with multiple applications in oncology. One of the more promising applications in breast cancer is noninvasive lymph node staging and detection of distant metastases, which may provide useful information about prognosis and treatment response. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Published studies on FDG-PET applications in breast cancer detection and staging were reviewed. We also present our own experience in patients referred for preoperative staging of breast cancer. RESULTS: FDG-PET is very useful in evaluating dense breasts, multicentric disease and breast prostheses. The sensitivity of FDG-PET for nodal staging is low, and consequently it cannot replace either sentinel lymph node biopsy or histologic examination. However, it is more accurate than another noninvasive techniques and is very useful in internal mammary node chain evaluation. FDG-PET can improve and maybe replace conventional imaging in detecting metastatic disease, especially in high risk patients with locoregionally advanced recurrent breast cancer or increased serum tumor markers, and helps to characterize unclear findings of anatomic imaging techniques or scintigraphy. CONCLUSIONS: FDG-PET is useful in breast cancer staging. It complements and even improves information from other diagnostic techniques and changes therapeutic management in a high proportion of patients.