Abstract

Mammography is the primary imaging modality used for early detection of clinically occult breast cancer. Despite the advances in mammographic techniques, mammography is still limited in both sensitivitivity and specificity. The scintimammography is a simple, noninvasive and accurate test to depict breast cancer and to characterize some peculiar biologic parameters. The different tracers currently used allow definition of cellurarity and perfusion (Sestamibi, tetraphosmin, tallium). The calcium metabolism (MDP), the receptor (octretide, hormones), and the antigenic profile (monoclonal antibodies). In patients with suspicious mammographic abnormalites or inconclusive mammographic findings, e.g. Dense breasts, radioimmune scintimammography could be used to separate benign from malignant lesions. Peptid receptor scintimammography is a simple, sensitive, noninvasive tool to show the presence or absence of spesific receptors on tumor invivo. Tc 99m labeled perfusion imaging agents can provide access to the functional evaluation of the multidrug resistance expression. Scintimammography is a promising procedure to detect primary breast cancer and axillary lymph node metastates.