Expert Testimony versus Junk Science

L-[methyl-"1C]methionine ("IC-methionine) uptake of seven primary breast cancers, four soft tissue metastases of breast cancer, and three other breast lesions was studied by positron emission tomography (PET). "C-methionine accumulation was assessed by calculating the standardised uptake value (SUV). The mean SUV for breast cancer was 8.5± 3.3 (s.d.), while the maximal uptake in the liver was 12.4±1.6, in the bone marrow 5.8 ± 0.7, and in the myocardium 3.4±0.6. All eight malignant tumours larger than 30mm in diameter accumulated clearly "C-methionine, whereas none of the three smaller cancers (from 12 to 15 mm in diameter) were visualised. Strong uptake of "C-methionine was associated with a large S-phase fraction (SPF) measured with flow cytometry (r = 0.77, P = 0.01), and the non-visualised cancers had all a small SPF (<5.5%). One benign tumour (an abscess) accumulated slightly IIC-methionine. The results indicate that both primary and metastatic breast cancer can be effectively imaged with "IC-methionine by PET, and that the accumulation of "C-methionine may correlate with the proliferation rate of breast carcinoma.