F. Lumachi et al., Sestamibi scintimammography in pT1 breast cancer: Alternative or complementary to X-ray mammography?, ANTICANC R, 21(3C), 2001, pp. 2201-2205
The aim of this study was to compare the results obtained using X-ray mammo
graphy (MG) and 99mTc-sestamibi scintimammography (SSM) in patients with br
east lesions less than or equal to 2 cm. One hundred and thirty-four women
(median age 52 years, range 32-78), who had already been selected for open
breast biopsy, underwent both MG and SSM prior to surgery. Final pathology
showed 27 (20.1%) benign breast lesions and 107 (79.9%) breast cancers (pT1
a=5 [4.7%], pT1b=50 [46.7%], pT1c=52 [48.6%]). The sensitivity, positive pr
edictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy were 81.3%, 97.6%, 5
5.6% and 83.6% for SSM and 83.2%, 89.9%, 48.6% and 79.1% for MG, respective
ly. The results were similar (p=NS), but patients with breast cancer (BC) u
ndetected by MG were significantly (p <0.05) younger than those in which th
e tumor was correctly diagnosed, while the age did not affect SSM sensitivi
ty. SSM was more (p <0.05) specific than MG in BC detection both in the ove
rall group of patients (92.6% vs 63.0%) and in those with less than or equa
l to 10 mm breast lesions (94.7% vs 63.2%). In conclusion, in patients with
suspected BC sized less than or equal to 2 cm, SSM may help in surgical pl
anning because of its high specificity, and should be considered complement
ary to MG, especially in younger women.