An interdisciplinary team of NIH scientists and clinicians have developed a functional Positron Emission Tomography (PET) instrument that is coupled to a standard mammogram to determine if the biochemical information provided by the retention of a radiopharmaceutical, fluorinated glucose enhances detection of the preinvasive phase of breast cancer. Preliminary results from a protocol amendment suggest feasibility, justifying further clinical evaluation. A BPRB protocol involving the correlation of PET findings with histologic data is being developed for a population of women at high risk for developing an invasive breast cancer. Advantages of the NIH PET design include the potential of greater sensitivity for detecting early cellular changes in a defined breast volume compared to standard PET instruments. Stereotactic localization and biopsies can be accomplished with the NIH prototype. The scan time with the new instrument is rapid providing spatial resolution of several millimeters. The biochemical output from the PET scan can be superimposed on the anatomic data from the mammogram. Rapid evaluation of this new instrument is critical in attempting to address the current problem in diagnosing breast cancer in women with dense breast tissue.
