Hell J Nucl Med
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Locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) is a distinct entity in breast carcinoma with high incidence of distant metastases (M). However, there is scarce data in the literature addressing the role of fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography ((18)F-FDG PET/CT) in LABC. This study was performed to assess the sensitivity of (18)F-FDG PET/CT in confirming known lymph nodal and M and in identifying new ones in LABC. ⋯ Lymph nodal and distant metastases detected by all other examinations were detected by (18)F-FDG PET/CT in all patients, except subcentimetric metastases in 2 patients in the axilla that were detected in another examination later. Additionally, (18)F-FDG PET/CT identified unknown ipsilateral, supraclavicular, internal mammary metastases and upstaged disease in 3 patients and additional distant metastases were noted in 3/16 patients. In conclusion, our study suggests that more extra axillary lymph nodal and distant metastases can be identified by (18)F-FDG PET/CT as compared to a group of clinical, X-rays, ultrasound and bone scan examinations together.