Early re-staging and molecular subtype shift surveillance of locally recurrent or metastatic breast cancer: A new PET/CT integrated precise algorithm

Abstract

Recurrent breast cancer poses considerable diagnostic and therapeutic challenges for clinic. Clinical suspicion of recurrence must be first confirmed by imaging studies. Then re-biopsy of suspected recurrence and metastasis in patients with breast cancer is recommended in the practice guidelines of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) and European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) to confirm whether the molecular subtype changes. It may change the individual treatment plan directly. Our research provided an integrated algorithm for locally recurrent or distant metastatic breast cancer, including early relapse detection and subsequently a new practical PET/CT imaging guide biopsy approach for surveilling molecular subtype shifts of the recurrent breast cancer. In our results, ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT appears to be more sensitive and accurate than conventional imaging technologies in early detecting locally recurrent or metastatic breast cancer. PET/CT-guided percutaneous FDG-avid target biopsies offers a new integrated precise re-biopsy algorithm for pathologic confirm and surveillance of molecular subtype shifts of the recurrent breast cancer. The precise algorithm for breast cancer recurrence and metastasis can be established in one stop, opening a window of opportunity for breast cancer patients to improve precise individual therapy and prolong survival.

Keywords: Individual therapy; Molecular subtype; PET/CT; Re-biopsy; Recurrent breast cancer.