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Selective Axillary Surgery in Breast Cancer Patients Based on Positron Emission Tomography with 18F-Fluoro-2-Deoxy-D-Glucose: not Yet!

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Abstract

We prospectively evaluated 31 patients with invasive breast cancer. Preoperative positron emission tomography (PET) with 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18F-FDG) for detection of axillary lymph node metastases was compared with the histopathologic status of the sentinel lymph node (SLN). Sensitivity of PET imaging was 43%, specificity and negative predictive value were 94 and 67%, respectively. The smallest metastasis detected by PET measured 3 mm in diameter. The results of this study suggest that detection of small axillary lymph node metastases is limited by the currently achievable spatial resolution of PET imaging. Selective axillary surgery in breast cancer patients based on 18F-FDG PET is yet not possible.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Switzerland

    Ulrich Guller, Igor Langer, Walter R. Marti, Daniel Oertli & Felix Harder

  2. Department of Radiology, Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Switzerland

    Egbert U. Nitzsche & Udo Schirp

  3. Department of Surgery, Kantonsspital Olten, Olten, Switzerland

    Carsten T. Viehl & Markus Zuber

  4. Institute of Pathology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland

    Joachim Torhorst & Holger Moch

Authors
  1. Ulrich Guller
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  2. Egbert U. Nitzsche
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  3. Udo Schirp
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  4. Carsten T. Viehl
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  5. Joachim Torhorst
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  6. Holger Moch
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  7. Igor Langer
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  8. Walter R. Marti
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  9. Daniel Oertli
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  10. Felix Harder
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  11. Markus Zuber
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Guller, U., Nitzsche, E.U., Schirp, U. et al. Selective Axillary Surgery in Breast Cancer Patients Based on Positron Emission Tomography with 18F-Fluoro-2-Deoxy-D-Glucose: not Yet!. Breast Cancer Res Treat 71, 171–173 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1013828710301

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1013828710301

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