Role of Nuclear Medicine in Breast Cancer

Nuclear Medicine involves the use of radioactive elements tagged with appropriate compounds (radiotracers) for various diagnostic and therapeutic indications. Nuclear Medicine imaging offers the advantage of early detection as the localization of the radiotracers is based on functional changes at the tissue/cellular level, which often precede morphologic changes in a diseased state. Various domains of Nuclear Medicine are involved intricately in the management of patients with breast cancer. In the present chapter, we discuss the established diagnostic and therapeutic roles of Nuclear Medicine, including gamma-camera and PET imaging, guided interventions, and palliative therapies. We review the current evidence around the clinical appropriateness of these procedures and discuss their place in the present management algorithms, especially of imaging modalities in widespread use, such as ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT. We also briefly explore the currently investigational radiotracers and their potential clinical utility in patients with breast cancer.