Tc-99m MIBI in suspected recurrent breast cancer

A prospective trial was performed to assess the accuracy of Tc-99m MIBI sci ntimammography in 63 women (mean age 65, range 33-85 years) with suspected recurrent breast cancer in the breast and/or loco-regional tissues. All pat ients had been diagnosed with breast cancer 1-23 years before the scintimam mography. A total of 27 breasts had been removed by mastectomy so scintimam mography was compared with mammography in the remaining 99 breasts. Pathological follow-up of patients confirmed 33 sites of recurrent disease within the breast, 26 (78%) were identified by scintimammography and14 (42% ) by mammography; 30 (90%) were positive on one test or the other In addition Tc-99m MIBI scintimammography, identified 10/16 (63%) of axilla ry lymph nodes with recurrent tumour and 4/6 sites of recurrent tumour pres ent elsewhere. Tc-99m MIBI scintimammography is more accurate in identifying recurrent dis ease in the breast than mammography and can identify loco-regional recurren ce outside of the breast.