Breast Cancer Detection With 99m-Tc-Sestamibi Scintigraphy, Mammography, and Fine-Needle Aspiration Cytology: Comparative Study in 64 Surgically Treated Patients

Abstract

In women with suspicious MG or abnormal FNA cytology that required further investigations, SMM may be helpful in surgical planning and should be considered in most patients before biopsy as an additional noninvasive procedure.

Relationship between prognostic factors of breast cancer and 99mTc-sestamibi uptake in patients who underwent scintimammography: Multivariate analysis of causes of false-negative results

“…It has a higher specificity compared with MG, and its complementary role in surgical planning is well established. 4,[7][8][9] The aims of this study were to establish whether a relationship exists between sestamibi uptake, evaluated as a tumour-to-background ratio (TBR) and the main prognostic factors of BC, and to analyze the causes of the falsenegative results of SSM.…”

Is Scintimammography Really the Most Valuable Preoperative Assessment Tool?

“…With FNA and mammography alone, only two of the patients in this study had false-negative results. 7 Whether cancer was identified in these specific patients by the addition of SMM is not stated. Overall, the results did not seem to show any great benefit to the patient population by the addition of a third test, SMM.…”

“…Numerous authors report poor uptake in lesions Ͻ1 centimeter. 6 In this issue of the Annals of Surgical Oncology, Lumachi et al 7 and other advocates of SMM claim it may be valuable in surgical planning by improving the sensitivity and specificity of mammography and thereby decreasing the number of unnecessary breast biopsies. 6 -8 Other suggested uses of SMM include the assessment of women with inadequate mammograms because of altered or dense breasts, the identification of multicentric disease, and possibly the use in the evaluation of the response to chemotherapy.…”

“…Although not used by Lumachi et al 7 in their comparisons, MRI has been shown to be a valuable tool in the detection and treatment of breast cancer. Other studies have compared SMM with MRI in the evaluation of breast lesions.…”

“…6 Sixty-nine percent of the undetected tumors by SMM in Lumachi's study were of nonpalpable lesions. 7 Clearly, with increased emphasis on breast cancer screening in our society, the shift has been toward diagnosis of earlier stage, nonpalpable lesions. This may prove to be the limiting factor for SMM.…”