Role of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET)- computed tomography (CT) in evaluation of post-treatment response of breast cancer

Abstract

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the most prevalent critical malignancy in women and the main etiology of cancer death in women. Once recognized, the tumor stage must be correctly identified to select suitable treatment and determine the prognosis. The present investigation aims to find out the crucial role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in evaluating breast cancer therapy and predicting postoperative recurrence or systemic therapy.Methods: This follow-up prospective cohort investigation was performed on 24 admitted cases of breast cancer in the Radiodiagnosis Department at Zagazig University Hospital. All participants were subjected to the following: Informed consent from all patients participating in the study, complete history taking, imaging including CT and Gamma Camera, histopathology if applicable, and follow-up by PET CT after palliative therapy.Results: There was a substantial association between the prevalence of local recurrence after treatment and pathology results before treatment (P<0.001) and type of treatment (P=0.014). There was a notable relationship between the incidence of local recurrence after treatment and metastasis to LN (P<0.001) and lung (P=0.001) detected by PET/CT before treatment, as all patients with LN and lung metastasis experienced local recurrence after treatment.Conclusion: 18F-FDG PET/CT is essential in evaluating BC therapy and determining recurrence following surgical or systemic therapy