Ary O Pires1, Umbelina S Borges1, Pedro V Lopes-Costa1, Luiz H Gebrim2, Benedito B da Silva3. 1. Department of Gynecology, Mastology Division, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, Piauí, Brazil. 2. Department of Mastology, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. 3. Department of Gynecology, Mastology Division, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, Piauí, Brazil. Electronic address: beneditoborges@globo.com.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare bone scintigraphy (BS) and positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) for the detection of bone metastases from breast cancer. STUDY DESIGN: Twenty patients with breast cancer and bone pain were submitted to both bone scintigraphy and 18-F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT imaging between July 2012 and June 2013. Scintigraphy was performed following an intravenous injection of technetium-99m-methylene diphosphonate (99mTc-MDP) around 10 days before the PET/CT scan, performed using an intravenous injection of 18-F-fluorodeoxyglucose followed by whole-body computed tomography (CT) to characterize metastases by both methods. Student's t-test for paired samples was used in the comparative data analysis, with significance at p<0.05. RESULTS: CT identified 429 metastatic implants in the 20 patients, with scintigraphy showing 244 of these lesions (57%) and PET/CT showing 307 (72%); however, there was no statistically significant difference between the mean number of lesions detected per patient with the two imaging modalities (p=0.367). CONCLUSION: In the present study, no difference was found between PET/CT and bone scintigraphy in the detection of bone metastases from breast cancer.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare bone scintigraphy (BS) and positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) for the detection of bone metastases from breast cancer. STUDY DESIGN: Twenty patients with breast cancer and bone pain were submitted to both bone scintigraphy and 18-F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT imaging between July 2012 and June 2013. Scintigraphy was performed following an intravenous injection of technetium-99m-methylene diphosphonate (99mTc-MDP) around 10 days before the PET/CT scan, performed using an intravenous injection of 18-F-fluorodeoxyglucose followed by whole-body computed tomography (CT) to characterize metastases by both methods. Student's t-test for paired samples was used in the comparative data analysis, with significance at p<0.05. RESULTS: CT identified 429 metastatic implants in the 20 patients, with scintigraphy showing 244 of these lesions (57%) and PET/CT showing 307 (72%); however, there was no statistically significant difference between the mean number of lesions detected per patient with the two imaging modalities (p=0.367). CONCLUSION: In the present study, no difference was found between PET/CT and bone scintigraphy in the detection of bone metastases from breast cancer.