The Role of Molecular Imaging Technologies in Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Management

Anatomic breast imaging techniques such as mammography and ultrasound are very useful in the detection of breast cancer, but can have limited sensitivity and positive predictive value, particularly in patients with dense breasts (Kolb et al., 2002). These limitations have provided the impetus for adjunctive technologies such as nuclear medicine and PET based diagnostic imaging procedures. The nuclear medicine based technique is referred to as Breast-Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI) or molecular breast imaging (MBI) while the positron-emission tomography (PET) based technique is referred to as Positron Emission Mammography (PEM). Both have demonstrated good results in clinical studies and are increasingly being adopted into clinical practice. Although these imaging techniques have similarities, they are different in several aspects. This chapter is designed to provide an overview of these imaging technologies and their potential roles in patient management.