Early response monitoring by FDG-PET to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in locally advanced breast cancer patients

2022 Background: [F18]-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) is commonly used in the diagnosis and staging of cancer. Clinical and radiological evaluation of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy is presently based on change in tumor size, and the correlation with pathological response is often inaccurate. The aim of study is to prospectively assess FDG-PET sequential imaging as an early indicator of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in locally advanced breast cancer patients. Methods: A total of 250 attenuation-corrected scans has been obtained in 43 patients. Images were obtained with a CT/PET scanner (GE Discovery LS) following administration of FDG (5 MBq/kg) at the baseline and after the first, second, third and sixth course of chemotherapy. PET data were interpreted using standardized uptake value (SUV) measurements. The changes of SUV data with regard to baseline values were correlated with surgical/histopathological response. Results: Surgery and histopathology after ...