To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: ARRS MEETING: Nuclear Medicine Scan Detects Hard To Find Breast Cancer URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/FD4D2.htm Doctor's Guide May 12, 1999
NEW ORLEANS, LA -- May 12, 1999 -- A special radiological nuclear medicine scan has shown great potential for detecting certain breast cancers that are difficult to detect through standard mammography, a new study has found. The test, called technetium tetrofosmin scintimammography, compared favourably with standard mammography in detecting cancer in dense breasts, where the disease can be difficult to diagnose, said study lead author Michael Blake, M.D. The study was performed at St. Vincent's and St. Anne's Hospitals, Dublin, Ireland. The study was presented today at the 99th annual meeting of the American Roentgen Ray Society in New Orleans, LA. The nuclear medicine test can help doctors target the most appropriate area for a biopsy or it can help reduce biopsies by differentiating between scar tissue and a possibly cancerous tumour, Dr. Blake explained. "There are occasions when something looks bad on a mammogram, but with the help of this test it proves to be just a scar from previous surgery, for example," he said. Dr. Blake added that another use for the test is to examine lumps, often found by women themselves. "This is, of course, very frightening for women to find something like this and the nuclear scan can tell very quickly if there really is a problem that requires biopsy," he said. Dr. Blake emphasised the scan is not a replacement for other techniques -- it is an addition to mammography and the other kinds of tests already used effectively. At this point the test is useful in certain clinical circumstances and has great potential as an adjunctive imaging test for the breast, he said. Unlike mammography, the scan does not use compression, but does require IV injection which is well tolerated by patients. Such scans take an average of 45 minutes. Patients lie on both their stomachs and backs for the examination. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet* located at http://www.docguide.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to News Story Page This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.