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. 2009 Oct;36(10):1543-50.
doi: 10.1007/s00259-009-1145-6. Epub 2009 May 5.

Diagnostic value of full-dose FDG PET/CT for axillary lymph node staging in breast cancer patients

Till A Heusner  1 , Sherko Kuemmel, Steffen Hahn, Angela Koeninger, Friedrich Otterbach, Monia E Hamami, Klaus R Kimmig, Michael Forsting, Andreas Bockisch, Gerald Antoch, Alexander Stahl
Affiliations

Diagnostic value of full-dose FDG PET/CT for axillary lymph node staging in breast cancer patients

Till A Heusner et al. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2009 Oct.

Abstract

Purpose: The aims of this study were (1) to evaluate FDG PET/CT and CT for the detection of axillary lymph node metastases in breast cancer (BC) patients and (2) to evaluate FDG PET/CT as a pre-test for the triage to sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) versus axillary lymph node dissection (ALND).

Methods: The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value (PPV, NPV), and accuracy of FDG PET/CT and CT for axillary lymph node metastases were determined in 61 patients (gold standard: histopathology). According to the equation "NPV = specificity (1-prevalence) / [specificity (1-prevalence) + (1-sensitivity) prevalence]" FDG PET/CT was evaluated as a triage tool for SLNB versus ALND.

Results: The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and accuracy of FDG PET/CT was 58, 92, 82, 77 and 79% and of CT 46, 89, 72, 71 and 72%, respectively. Patients with an up to approximately 60% risk for axillary lymph node metastases appear to be candidates for SLNB provided that the axilla is unremarkable on FDG PET/CT.

Conclusion: FDG PET/CT cannot replace invasive approaches for axillary staging but may extend the indication for SLNB.

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