New breast scan in the news....

Apparently the folks at Mayo Clinic have been investigating this method for several years, but it's all over the news today because of the oncology meeting.  It has since been adopted by other cancer centers, although I don't know how widespread its use is.

Here is more information about the method, which is called "MBI" (molecular breast imaging):  http://www.healthimaging.com/content/view/10638/118/

The technique is based on the fact that cancer cells have a higher level of metabolic activity, and they'll pick up and accumulate more of the radioactive tracer than normal cells will:  http://medicalphysicsweb.org/cws/article/industry/26669 

"...The women were injected with a small amount of a radioactive drug, sestamibi, which preferentially travels to tumours, which absorb the substance.

"During the scan, each breast was lightly compressed between the gamma cameras, with just enough pressure to keep it stationary for 5–10 min while several pictures were taken. "It is much more comfortable for women because a force of only 15 lb is used, compared with the 45 lb force compression needed to take a mammogram," said O'Connor.

"The images showed that a small amount of the sestamibi was usually absorbed throughout the breast. But in cancerous areas, the amount of drug absorption was significantly increased."

The image is captured with a special type of gamma camera:   http://www.dilon.com/medicalprofessionals.php 

From what I've read (thanks to FloridaLady's post), it looks like the MBI method will be considerably less expensive than a breast MRI.  The articles are suggesting it will cost only slightly more than mammography, but will be significantly better at detecting tumors in dense breast tissue.

MBI may also be useful for women with "atypical" lesions.  There is a clinical trial underway right now, to test it in women with atypical lobular hyperplasia, atypical ductal hyperplasia, and lobular carcinoma in situ:  http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00620087 

We certainly need a technology like this.  Now, what can we do to make sure our breast centers buy the equipment and our insurance companies pay for the testing?

otter

Pam, I was wondering that, too.  It seems to be about the only drawback to the technique, so far, assuming that the current clinical trials continue to show that it works.  The higher level of radiation must be from the injection, since the gamma camera only detects radiation--it doesn't produce it, as far as I know.

I think this method is kind of like what they do when we get the radioisotope injection for a sentinel node biopsy--the radioactive material is technitium-99 (plus some other stuff), and the accumulation of the isotope in tissue is detected with a gamma camera.  In the case of the MBI, though, the material is injected i.v., so it travels throughout the body.

That's about all I know about it, though.

otter 

Wow,

I didn't see this and I find it fascinating.When I was dx'ed I was also dx'ed with a parathyroid adenoma.The way they detect that is by a sestamibi injection then scan of the throat! Geez who knew they could have been pointing just a little south and to the left!

Great news! Thanks for the link!

Jan