Positron Emission Mammography (Breast PET)

 The Naviscan PEM scanner is an optimised PET scanner designed to provide unprecedented metabolic visualization of small body parts. Through a unique combination of gentle immobilization, advanced photonics, and image processing, this scanner provides tomographic images with resolution down to 2 mm. While the PEM scanner can image virtually any body part that can fit into the gantry, clinicians most often use it as an adjunct to conventional imaging to detect, stage, and manage breast cancer. Images courtesy of Naviscan.

 Positron emission mammography (PEM) or breast PET is the application of high-resolution PET technology to an isolated immobilised breast, producing tomographic images of lesions with resolution down to 2 mm. This technology produces valuable clinical data on invasive and noninvasive disease across the continuum of care. From initial staging to ongoing postsurgical disease management, Naviscan's PEM scanner provides a metabolic perspective, allowing physicians to provide optimal in breast cancer care management.

PEM versus MRI for Identification of Contralateral Breast Cancer
Researchers presented data showing increased specificity of PEM compared to MRI for the detection of breast cancer at the National Consortium of Breast Centers 21st Annual National Interdisciplinary Breast Center Conference held from March 12 to 16, 2011 in Las Vegas, NV. The poster presentation entitled "Presurgical Detection of Malignancies in the Contralateral Breast Using Positron Emission Mammography: Comparisons with Magnetic Resonance Imaging" revealed the results of a 208-patient, single-site, IRB-approved, prospective study.
Women with newly diagnosed breast cancer have a 3% to 5% incidence of synchronous contralateral cancer (cancer in the opposite breast). Because of this increased risk, accurate evaluation of the contralateral breast at the time of primary diagnosis is essential to reduce both time and cost to the patient. Traditionally, breast MRI has been used to evaluate the breast for both ipsilateral (originally diagnosed) and contralateral diseases; however, PEM is a 3D molecular breast imaging approach that has been found to be as sensitive as breast MRI in detecting index and additional cancer in the ipsilateral breast with improved specificity.
The study was conducted to determine whether PEM imaging would also be equally, or possibly more, sensitive than breast MRI for the identification of synchronous contralateral breast cancer. Of the 208 analysable subjects, results showed that 71 women had contralateral breast lesions identified by either MRI or PEM. The study confirmed that PEM and MRI identified the same cancers, both with 83% sensitivity, whereas PEM showed a trend for improved specificity with 80% versus 63% with MRI. PEM, unlike MRI, was not influenced by menopausal status or breast density.
"These results show that PEM has the potential to make significant contributions in preoperative imaging evaluation of the contralateral breast in subjects with newly identified breast cancer," stated Dr. Kathy Schilling, Medical Director of Breast Imaging and Intervention for the Christine E. Lynn Women's Health and Wellness Institute at Boca Raton Regional Hospital.

Role of PET-Guided Biopsy inEntrainement Nike