A importância da combinação das técnicas de PET e CT para o diagnóstico e tratamento de câncer de mama

Abstract

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the world, representing about 1 in every 3 diagnosed cases in women in Brazil. PET/CT is a hybrid imaging technique that combines Positron Emission Tomography (PET) with Computed Tomography (CT), integrating metabolic information with anatomical information to obtain more precise diagnoses. These combined images, aided by investigative diagnostic methods, are considered more informative than when separate, in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy. This study aims to explore the technical aspects and the importance of using the PET/CT imaging technique in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. With the evolution of PET/CT, significant progress has been made in the development of radiotracers. The PET/CT imaging technique using 18F-FDG has a high capability to highlight non-palpable lesions of breast cancer. It has been observed that the greater the reduction in tumor activity at the beginning of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) treatment, the higher the probability of patients achieving a pathological response.