Clinical applications of 99mTc-sestamibi scintimammography

Abstract

Mammography is the imaging modality of choice in detection of early, nonpalpable breast cancer. However, scintimammography may prove to be a very useful adjunct to a nondiagnostic or difficult mammography. Future prospective studies will have to be designed so that the specific clinical applications of scintimammography will be well defined. To be clinically relevant, each niche where scintimammography is potentially indicated should be clearly evaluated and incorporated into an algorithm of investigation of breast cancer, taking into consideration the relative advantages and limitations of scintimammography. Special care to obtain high-quality scintimammographic studies is mandatory. Because poor quality studies may be the major drawback, the nuclear medicine community should remind the lesson learned from radiologic mammography. Furthermore, it is also hoped that significant improvement in the scintigraphic equipment and data acquisition will be seen in a very near future to have more widespread clinical diagnostic applications of scintimammography.