Role of positron emission tomography in the early treatment evaluation of patients with breast cancer

Positron emission tomography (PET) using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) is increasingly used in oncology got the diagnosis and end of treatment evaluation for many tumors. A promising indication for 18F-FDG PET is the early assessment of response to chemotherapy. The authors reviewed the role of PET in early treatment evaluation of patients with breast cancer. PET is able to predict outcome of neo-adjuvant chemotherapy in most patients. However, our own results in patients with metastatic breast cancer are less optimistic. Further studies are warranted to determine the clinical benefit of early treatment evaluation before using PET routinely in this indication. (author)