乳腺浸润性导管癌^（18）F-FDG摄取的影响因素分析

目的：探讨肿瘤大小、病理分级、有无淋巴结转移及病理分子标志物雌激素受体（ER）、孕激素受体（PR）、表皮生长因子受体（C-erbB-2）、p53抑癌基因（p53）及增殖细胞核抗原Ki67（Ki67）对乳腺浸润性导管癌18F-FDG摄取的影响。方法：37例病理证实乳腺浸润性导管癌术前18F-FDG PET/CT SUVmax与术后病理免疫组化结果进行综合分析,采用Mann-Whitney U检验进行统计学分析。结果：病灶直径≥2.5cm、肿瘤高分化（III级）、淋巴结转移组平均SUVmax分别高于〈2.5cm、低分化（I-II级）及淋巴结未转移有统计学意义（P〈0.05）。ER（﹣）组18F-FDG摄取程度高于ER（﹢）组（P〈0.05）,Ki67（﹢）组18F-FDG摄取程度高于Ki67（﹣）组,差异均有统计学意义（P〈0.05）。而PR、C-erbB-2及p53对18F-FDG摄取影响不明显。结论：乳腺浸润性导管癌病灶大小、病理分级、有无淋巴结转移、ER、Ki67的表达影响18F-FDG摄取,18F-FDG PET/CT鉴别诊断及初步分期时应引起重视。     

p27和Ki-67在乳腺浸润性导管癌中的表达及意义

目的探讨p27和Ki)67在乳腺浸润性导管癌中的表达及意义。方法采用免疫组织化学方法检测60例乳腺浸润性导管癌组织p27和Ki*67的表达,分析其与临床病理特征的关系。结果p27低表达率为45.0%,p27低表达与乳腺肿瘤大小、神经脉管浸润、淋巴结转移、组织学分级有关(P<0.05);Ki+67高表达率60%,Ki,67高表达与肿瘤神经脉管浸润、淋巴结转移、组织学分级有关(P<0.05);p27低表达与Ki-67高表达有关(P<0.05)。结论p27低表达、Ki.67高表达是乳腺浸润性导管癌高度恶性和预后不良的生物学指标,乳腺癌p27和Ki/67的表达可能具有相互调控作用。     

乳腺浸润性导管癌组织Ki-67表达及其分子分型的意义

目的:探讨Ki-67增殖抗原在乳腺浸润性导管癌组织中的表达及与临床病理特征、雌激素受体(ER)、孕激素受体(PR)、人表皮生长因子受体-2(C-erbB-2)和抑癌基因p53的关系.方法:采用Elivison二步法进行免疫组化染色,检测102例单侧乳腺浸润性导管癌组织中Ki-67、ER、PR、C-erbB-2和p53的表达水平,并结合患者相关临床资料进行分析.结果:Ki-67高表达(≥14％)比例占82.4％ (84/102).不同分子亚型中,luminalA型Ki-67表达率最低,三阴性(导管)最高.Ki-67表达水平与单侧浸润性导管癌患者的淋巴结转移(x2=5.007,P=0.025)、TNM分期(u=705.000,P=0.032)和组织分级(单侧Fisher:P=0.042)有明显的相关性,与患者的年龄(t=1.996,P=0.052)、肿块大小(u=859.000,P=0.502)和侵犯脉管情况(xc2=0.762,P=0.383)无明显的相关性.Ki-67表达水平与ER(r=-0.273,P=0.005)、PR(r=-0.332,P=0.001)表达程度呈负相关;与C-erbB-2(r=0.327,P=0.001)、p53(r=0.343,P=0.000)表达程度呈正相关.结论:Ki-67表达与目前乳腺癌分子分型相关,其高表达是预后不良因素.     

乳腺浸润性导管癌中p53和表皮生长因子受体的表达及其意义

目的探讨p53和表皮生长因子受体(Epidermal growth factor receptor,EGFR)在乳腺浸润性导管癌中的表达及其临床病理意义。方法采用免疫组化SP法检测30例正常乳腺组织、160例浸润性乳腺癌组织中p53和EGFR的表达。结果乳腺浸润性导管癌中p53、EGFR的阳性表达与正常乳腺组织间差异有显著统计学意义(P<0.01)。p53、EGFR的阳性表达与浸润性乳腺导管癌的病理分级、临床分期及淋巴结转移有关(P<0.05),而与患者的年龄、肿块的大小无关。结论 p53和EGFR在乳腺浸润性导管癌的发生、发展过程中发挥了一定的作用,两者联合检测有助于预测患者的预后,并为临床进行靶向治疗提供依据。     

C-erbB-2、p53、Ki-67及VEGF在乳腺癌中的表达及相关性

目的探讨C-erbB-2、p53、Ki-67及VEGF在乳腺癌组织中的表达及其与乳腺癌临床病理特征之间的相关性。方法采用免疫组化SP法检测72例乳腺癌组织中C-erbB-2、p53、Ki-67及VEGF表达情况,并结合临床病理特征进行相关性分析。结果乳腺癌患者C-erbB-2、p53、Ki-67及VEGF阳性表达率分别为47.2%、48.6%、56.9%、65.3%。C-erbB-2、p53表达与淋巴结转移、雌激素受体、孕激素受体相关(P<0.05);Ki-67、VEGF与肿瘤直径、淋巴结转移相关(P<0.05);ER和PR呈正相关(P<0.05);C-erbB2与ER、PR呈负相关(P<0.05);p53与ER和PR呈负相关(P<0.05);p53、Ki-67、VEGF之间均呈正相关(P<0.05)。结论 C-erbB-2、p53、Ki-67及VEGF检测对判断乳腺癌预后有重要意义。     

COX-2及Ki67在乳腺浸润性导管癌组织中的表达及临床意义

目的 探讨COX-2和Ki67在乳腺浸润性导管癌组织中的表达情况及其临床意义.方法 采用免疫组化SP方法检测82例乳腺浸润性导管癌组织与癌旁正常组织中COX-2和Ki67的表达,并结合临床病理特点进行分析.结果 82例乳腺浸润性导管癌组织中COX-2和Ki67的表达分别为71.95%和64.63%,与癌旁正常组织相比均明显增高(均P<0.001);COX-2和Ki67的表达与肿瘤TNM分期、淋巴结转移、脉管侵犯及组织学分级呈正相关(均P<0.05);Ki67的表达与肿瘤大小呈正相关(P<0.01);Spearman等级相关分析法显示两者表达呈正相关(P<0.05).结论 在乳腺浸润性导管癌组织中COX-2和Ki67的表达均增高,两者与乳腺浸润性导管癌临床病理特征密切相关,对两者进行联合检测可反映乳腺浸润性导管癌的生物学行为.     

ER、PR、CerbB-2、p53和Ki67蛋白在乳腺癌中的表达及其意义

目的探讨ER、PR、CerbB-2、p53、Ki67基因在乳腺癌中的表达及意义,并分析它对预后判断的影响。方法用免疫组化方法检测20例乳腺良性病变及40例乳腺癌组织中ER、PR、CerbB-2、p53、Ki67基因表达。结果20例乳腺良性病变中阳性百分率为：ER20.0%,PR35.0%,CerbB-2为5.3%;p53、Ki67为阴性表达;40例乳腺癌组织中基因表达的阳性表达率分别为ER45.0%,PR52.5%,CerbB-260.0%,p5355.0%,Ki6772.5%。结论ER、PR、CerbB-2、p53、Ki67蛋白表达在乳腺癌中的阳性率明显高于非癌组织,且在浸润性导管癌中CerbB-2、p53、Ki67蛋白表达与分级、转移呈正相关,随着组织学分级增高而阳性表达增高。提示CerbB-2、p53、Ki67蛋白表达可能在乳腺良性病变恶性转化及乳腺癌的发生中具有重要作用,联合检测若均过度表达将提示乳腺癌恶性程度较高。     

乳腺浸润性导管癌预后相关因素分析

目的:探讨乳腺浸润性导管癌预后相关因素.方法: 收集130例乳腺浸润性导管癌资料,回顾性分析其临床特征、病理分化程度、复发转移情况、激素受体状况、人类表皮生长因子受体2的表达、临床治疗及生存情况.结果: c-erbB-2表达在ER、PR阳性组低于ER、PR阴性组(P<0.01),ER表达在PR阳性组高于PR阴性组(P<0.01);中、低分化与高分化相比,在淋巴结的转移、肿瘤的转移或复发、临床分期、肿块的大小上,均有统计学差异(P<0.05);单因素分析结果显示,激素受体状况、人类表皮生长因子受体2表达、病理分化程度、淋巴结状况、肿瘤转移或复发、临床分期、肿瘤大小、T分期、N分期、辅助化疗等11个因素与预后相关;多因素分析结果显示:ER状况、病理分化程度、淋巴结状况、临床分期是乳腺浸润性导管癌患者预后的独立影响因素.结论: 对乳腺浸润性导管癌,早期发现并针对病理分化程度及激素受体水平的适当治疗是提高生存期的关键.     

乳腺浸润性癌MRI表现与生物因子表达的相关性研究

目的 探讨乳腺浸润性癌MRI表现与生物因子雌激素受体(ER)、孕激素受体(PR)、人表皮生长因子受体2(HER2)、肿瘤增殖抗原Ki-67、肿瘤抑制蛋白p53表达的相关性及临床意义.方法 回顾性分析69例乳腺浸润性癌患者的MRI表现及生物因子ER、PR、HER2、Ki-67、p53的表达情况,采用Spearman相关分析和分类回归树(CART)算法分析MRI表现与各生物因子表达的相关性.结果 HER2表达与淋巴结转移呈正相关(r=0.299,P﹤0.05),p53表达与病变表现为肿块呈负相关(r=-0.261,P﹤0.05);肿块分叶征象与Ki-67(r=0.472,P﹤0.01)、p53(r=0.25,P﹤0.05)阳性表达呈正相关.根据MRI表现分析各生物因子表达的CART决策树,分类准确度依次为:Ki-67(0.797)﹥ER(0.754)﹥PR(0.725)﹥HER2(0.478)﹥p53(0.464).结论 乳腺浸润性癌的MRI表现与生物因子ER、PR、HER2、Ki-67、p53的表达有一定的相关性,可作为乳腺癌的重要诊断指标.     

1 267例乳腺癌临床与免疫组化指标的相关性分析

分析乳腺浸润性导管癌的临床特征及6种免疫组化指标表达的关系,探讨其临床意义。方法:采用免疫组化SP法对1 267例乳腺癌患者的术后肿瘤石蜡标本进行ER、PR、C-erbB-2、P53、Ki-67、VEGF检测,并与患者的临床特征进行相关分析。结果:乳腺癌组织中ER、PR、C-erbB-2的阳性表达率分别为61.4%、53.0%、36.6%;P53、Ki-67、VEGF的阳性表达率分别为42.0%、91.6%、74.7%。肿瘤直径≤2 cm组中,ER和PR表达率最高（66.8%和58.8%）,而C-erbB-2的表达率最低（32.9%）。在低年龄组（≤50岁）和临床I期的患者中,PR表达率均最高,为57.9%和58.5%。C-erbB-2在临床晚期（Ⅲ,Ⅳ期）表达率最高（45.9%）。P53、Ki-67的阳性表达均与ER阳性表达呈负相关。而P53、Ki-67、VEGF的阳性表达与C-erbB-2的表达均呈正相关。淋巴结阳性组中P53、Ki-67与ER及P53与C-erbB-2的相关程度均较淋巴结阴性组大。结论:乳腺浸润性导管癌组织中ER、PR、C-erbB-2与P53、Ki-67和VEGF之间有一定的相关性,联合检测有助于指导该类肿瘤的治疗。      

乳腺癌18F-FDG PET/CT显像SUVmax与Ki67、ER、PR、Her-2的关系

[目的]探讨18F-FDG PET/CT显像SUV max与免疫组化指标Ki67、ER、PR、Her-2的关系。[方法]选择2011年10月至2012年12月经手术或活检证实为乳腺癌患者46例,在手术或活检前一周内行PET/CT检查,并将肿瘤组织行Ki67、ER、PR、Her-2检测。数据统计采用Pearson直线相关分析和独立分组t检验。[结果 ]SUV max为1.2~13.0,平均为6.630±3.250;Ki67为10%~80%,平均值为43.040%±23.200%,SUV max与Ki67呈正相关（r=0.752,P=0.000）;ER阳性组SUV max为5.700±2.195,阴性组SUV max为7.673±4.438,差异有统计学意义（t=-1.370,P=0.003）;PR阳性组SUVmax为6.285±2.761,PR阴性组SUV max为7.110±4.434,差异无统计学意义（t=-0.549,P=0.099）;Her-2阳性组SUV max为6.706±3.480,Her-2阴性组SUVmax为6.420±4.064,差异无统计学意义（t=0.157,P=0.912）。[结论]SUV max可反映乳腺癌组织中Ki67的表达水平,并有助于确认ER的表达状态,SUV max高的乳腺癌ER表达状态可能为阴性,但SUV max与乳腺癌PR、Her-2的表达状态无关。     

The prognostic value of p53 and c-erbB-2 expression, proliferative activity and angiogenesis in node-negative breast carcinoma

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: p53, c-erbB-2 and Ki-67 protein expression and microvessel density (MVD) determined by CD34 antibody were evaluated by immunohistochemistry and their correlation with clinicopathological parameters including estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR) receptor status and survival were investigated in patients with axillary lymph node-negative infiltrating ductal breast carcinoma. METHODS: The study population consisted of 47 patients with axillary lymph node-negative infiltrating ductal breast carcinoma. RESULTS: p53 and c-erbB-2 expression was detected in 36.2% and 31.9% of patients, respectively. Median Ki-67 expression was 10%. There were no statistically significant differences in the distribution of p53, Ki-67 and c-erbB-2 protein expression in relation to the age of the patients or to the size, histological grade or ER and PR status of the tumors. p53 protein expression correlated positively with c-erbB-2 and Ki-67 protein expression (P < 0.05). The mean MVD was 63.65 +/- 29.1 and it correlated positively with histological grade and Ki-67 expression (P < 0.05). Survival analysis revealed that age, tumor size, p53 and c-erbB-2 expression and PR status had no significant prognostic impact, whereas histological grade, proliferative activity and angiogenic activity were significant prognostic factors. Although ER-positive patients had a statistically significant overall survival advantage, the difference in disease-free survival was not significant. CONCLUSION: In axillary lymph node-negative breast carcinoma the histological grade and the proliferative and angiogenic activity of the tumor could be useful prognostic indicators.     

Clinical implications of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography at delayed phase for diagnosis and prognosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) has a poor prognosis, and conventional imaging modalities do not reflect the prognosis of MPM. In this study, the clinical significance of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography fusion imaging (18F-FDG PET/CT) was evaluated for the differential diagnosis, staging and prognosis in MPM patients. Ninety patients who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT scanning due to a clinical diagnosis or suspicion of MPM prior to therapy were reviewed. Of 90 patients, 31 were pathologically diagnosed as MPM. Maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax) were semi-quantitatively obtained from PET/CT 60 min (early phase) and 120 min (delayed phase) after injection of 18F-FDG, and the clinicopathological correlations with the level of SUVmax obtained from PET/CT were examined. The survival curves of MPM patients were plotted according to the methods of Kaplan-Meier. The prognostic implications of the level of SUVmax were estimated by t-test. PET/CT scan showed intense abnormal FDG uptake (SUVmax>2.0) in the pleural lesions of all 31 MPM patients at delayed phase, while it showed abnormal FDG uptake in 30 (97%) patients at early phase. In all 31 MPM patients, the values of SUVmax at delayed phase were higher than those at the early phase. PET/CT also indicated metastasis in the lymph node in 7 patients (23%) and in the systemic lesions in 8 patients (26%) with MPM. Twenty-three MPM patients with high SUVmax, whose prognosis was apparent, showed significantly poorer prognosis in both early and delayed phase (respectively, p=0.03 and p=0.01, t-test). The results showed that 18F-FDG PET/CT at delayed phase is very useful for the diagnosis of pleural diseases, and SUVmax on PET/CT in the delayed phase is a more reliable prognostic factor than that in the early phase. High uptake of 18F-FDG PET/CT may be a predictive factor of prognosis in MPM patients.     

Ki67 Index in Breast Cancer: Correlation with Other Prognostic Markers and Potential in Pakistani Patients

Introduction: Breast cancer aggressiveness can be correlated with proliferation status of tumor cells, whichcan be ascertained with tumor grade and Ki67 indexing. However due to lack of reproducibility, the ASCO donot recommend routine use of Ki67 in determining prognosis in newly diagnosed breast cancers. We thereforeaimed to determine associations of the Ki67 index with other prognostic markers like tumor size, grade, lymphnode metastasis, ER, PR and HER2neu status. Methods: A total of 194 cases of newly diagnosed breast cancerwere included in the study. Immunohistochemical staining for ER, PR, HER2neu and Ki67 was performed bythe DAKO envision method. Associations of the Ki67 index with other prognostic factors were evaluated bothas continuous and categorical variables. Results: Mean age of the patients was 51.7 years (24-90). Mean Ki67index was 26.9% (1-90). ER, PR, HER2neu positivity was noted in 90/194 cases (46.4%), 74/194 cases (38.1%)and 110/194 cases (56.70%) respectively. Significant association was found between Ki67 and tumor grade,PR, HER2neu positivity and lymph node status, but no link was apparent with ER positivity and tumor size.There wasan inverse relation between Ki67 index and PR positivity, whereas a direct correlation was seen withHER2neu positivity. However, high Ki67 (>30%) was associated with decreased HER2neu positivity as comparedto intermediate Ki67 (16-30%). The same trend was established with lymph node metastasis. Conclusion: Ourstudy indicates that with high grade tumors, clinical utility of ki67 is greater in combination with other prognosticmarkers because we found that tumors with Ki67 higher than 30% have better prognostic profile comparedto tumors with intermediate Ki67 level, as reflected by slightly lower frequency of lymph node metastasis andHER2neu expression. Therefore we suggest that Ki67 index should be categorized into high, intermediate andlow groups when considering adjuvant chemotherapy and prognostic stratification.     

食管鳞癌FDGPET/CT显像SUV_（max）与肿瘤Ki-67表达及病理分级的相关性研究

目的探讨食管鳞癌FDG PET显像的最大标准摄取值（maximum FDG PET standardized uptake value,SUVmax）与肿瘤Ki-67表达及病理分级的关系。方法食管癌患者47例,于术前1周内行18F-FDG PET/CT检查,测得SUVmax。术后取得肿瘤标本,行Ki-67免疫组织化学染色,并HE染色确定病理分级,分析SUVmax、Ki-67、病理分级之间的关系。结果 （1）47例患者中共47个食管鳞癌原发病灶,SUVmax为1.9～24.0,平均为12.504±6.805,Ki-67平均指数为（67.837±29.798）%,经统计学分析,SUVmax与Ki-67指数呈正相关r,值为0.581,P〈0.05。（2）47例中高分化鳞癌13例,中分化鳞癌16例,低分化鳞癌18例。高、中、分化鳞癌的平均SUVmax分别为9.787±1.4771、2.313±0.479和15.053±2.147,经统计学分析,三者之间差异均有统计学意义（P=0.000）。结论 SUVmax可间接评价食管癌细胞的增殖能力,SUVmax在一定程度上能够反映肿瘤的病理分级。     

Tissue microarray analysis of connexin expression and its prognostic significance in human breast cancer

Breast cancer accounts for approximately 15% of all cancer deaths. Currently, axillary nodal status is the most reliable prognostic indicator for breast cancer. Tumor size and histological grade are used to stage breast cancer. Estrogen receptor/progesterone receptor (ER/PR) and HER-2/neu status are useful in predicting patient survival and relapse. Ki67, an indicator of proliferative activity, also correlates well with prognosis. Connexin proteins form gap junction channels, permitting intercellular exchange of ions and small molecules. Reduced connexin protein levels and impaired gap junctional intercellular communication are associated with tumor phenotypes. This study investigated the prognostic value of connexin proteins as breast cancer markers. Tissue microarrays, containing 438 cases of invasive breast carcinoma, were stained with Cx26, Cx32, and Cx43 antibodies. The degree of connexin immunoreactivity was determined and then correlated with patient outcome, tumor grade, tumor size, lymph node status, and immunohistochemical markers, such as p53, ER/PR status, Ki67 and c-erbB-2 expression. Cx26, Cx32, or Cx43 did not correlate well with tumor grade, tumor size, p53 or c-erbB-2 status. There was an inverse correlation between Cx32 and lymph node status (P <0.05) and a positive correlation between Cx43 and PR status (P <0.01). Cx32 and Cx43 correlated positively with ER status (P <0.01). Cx43 correlated negatively with Ki67 expression (P <0.01). Cx26, Cx32, and Cx43 did not correlate with patient outcome. Based on our observations in this study, connexin proteins do not appear to be reliable indicators of breast cancer prognosis.     

18F-FDG PET/CT SUVmax与乳腺浸润性导管癌临床病理特征及新辅助化疗疗效的相关性

 目的 探讨¹⁸F-脱氧葡萄糖（FDG）正电子发射计算机断层扫描（PET/CT）显像治疗前病灶最大标准摄取值（maximum standard uptake value, SUV_max）与乳腺浸润性导管癌临床病理特征的关系及与新辅助化疗疗效的相关性，以指导临床个体化治疗。方法 选取佛山市第一人民医院行¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT显像的272例初治乳腺浸润性导管癌患者的临床资料进行回顾性分析，测定原发病灶的SUV_max，分析临床病理特征、分子分型及新辅助化疗疗效与原发灶SUV_max的相关性。结果 乳腺癌原发灶的SUV_max在不同T分期、不同组织学分级、有无淋巴结转移方面差异均有统计学意义（P<0.05），雌激素受体（ER）和（或）孕激素受体（PR）阳性组与阴性组的SUV_max差异有统计学意义（P<0.05），人表皮生长因子受体2（HER2）阳性组与阴性组的SUV_max差异无统计学意义（P>0.05），Ki-67高表达者SUV_max高于低表达者（P<0.05）。Basal-like型和HER2过表达型SUV_max均高于Luminal A型乳腺癌（P<0.05）。病理完全缓解组与未达到病理缓解组SUV_max差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。结论 ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT SUV_max与乳腺癌的临床病理特征具有较大的相关性，原发病灶SUV_max较高者更能从新辅助化疗中获益。     

Maximum standardized uptake value on PET/CT in preoperative assessment of lymph node metastasis from thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

The presence of lymph node metastasis is an important prognostic factor for patients with esophageal cancer. Accurate assessment of lymph nodes in thoracic esophageal carcinoma is essential for selecting appropriate treatment and forecasting disease progression. Positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography （PET/CT） is becoming an important tool in the workup of esophageal carcinoma. Here, we evaluated the effectiveness of the maximum standardized uptake value （SUVmax） in assessing lymph node metastasis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma （ESCC） prior to surgery. Fifty-nine surgical patients with pathologically confirmed thoracic ESCC were retrospectively studied. These patients underwent radical esophagectomy with pathologic evaluation of lymph nodes. They all had 18F-FDG PET/CT scans in their preoperative staging procedures. None had a prior history of cancer. The pathologic status and PET/CT SUVmax of lymph nodes were collected to calculate the receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve and to determine the best cutoff value of the PET/CT SUVmax to distinguish benign from malignant lymph nodes. Lymph node data from 27 others were used for the validation. A total of 323 lymph nodes including 39 metastatic lymph nodes were evaluated in the training cohort, and 117 lymph nodes including 32 metastatic lymph nodes were evaluated in the validation cohort. The cutoff point of the SUVmax for lymph nodes was 4.1, as calculated by ROC curve （sensitivity, 80%; specificity, 92%; accuracy, 90%）. When this cutoff value was applied to the validation cohort, a sensitivity, a specificity, and an accuracy of 81%, 88%, and 86%, respectively, were obtained. These results suggest that the SUVmax of lymph nodes predicts malignancy. Indeed, when an SUVmax of 4.1 was used instead of 2.5, FDG-PET/ CT was more accurate in assessing nodal metastasis.     

Comparison of triple-negative and estrogen receptor-positive/progesterone receptor-positive/HER2-negative breast carcinoma using quantitative fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose/positron emission tomography imaging parameters: a potentially useful method for disease characterization

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to investigate the fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET) imaging characteristics of triple-negative (estrogen receptor-negative [ER-]/progesterone receptor-negative [PR-]/HER2-negative [HER2-]) breast carcinoma and compare the results with characteristics of ER+/PR+/HER2- breast carcinomas, which usually carry a favorable prognosis. METHODS: Patients with newly diagnosed breast carcinoma who had undergone dual-time-point FDG-PET before any therapeutic intervention and were identified as either ER-/PR-/HER2- or ER+/PR+/HER2- (the control group) on histopathology of the surgical specimen, were considered candidates for inclusion in this analysis. These patients underwent FDG-PET as a component of a prospective study that evaluated the role of multimodality imaging for characterizing primary breast lesions and locoregional staging. Breast cancer lesions were imaged twice at approximately 63 minutes and 101 minutes after the administration of FDG. Maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax) were measured at both time points (SUVmax1 and SUVmax2) to analyze the data generated. After FDG-PET imaging, the patients underwent either breast-conserving surgery or mastectomy, and histopathology reports were used to provide the definitive diagnosis against which the PET study results were compared. RESULTS: In total, 88 patients with breast cancer (29 patients with 'triple-negative' breast cancer and 59 patients with ER+/PR+/HER2- breast malignancies) were selected among 206 individuals who were enrolled in the study protocol. The 'triple-negative' group comprised 14.08% of the total study population. The age of the patients with this subtype of tumor ranged from 33 years to 75 years (mean age+/-standard deviation, 51.6 +/- 10.1 years), and tumors in this subgroup ranged in size from 0.9 cm to 6 cm (mean size, 1.99 cm). Among the histopathologic subtypes, 25 tumors were infiltrating ductal carcinoma (86%), and 1 tumor each (3.5% each subtype) was lobular, mixed ductal-lobular, medullary, and tubular. For the calculation of FDG-PET parameters in this group, only patients who had undergone FDG-PET studies before any intervention were considered, and 18 patients in the triple-negative group met this criterion. According to same criterion, a control group of 59 patients with ER+/PR+/HER2- cancer who had focal FDG uptake were selected for comparison with the triple-negative population. The breast cancer lesions were observed as areas with focally enhanced uptake of FDG in all patients (sensitivity, 100%) in the triple-negative group. The mean (+/-standard deviation) SUVmax1 of the primary lesion for the triple-negative group was 7.27 +/- 5.6, the mean SUVmax2 was 8.29 +/- 6.4, and the percentage change in SUVmax (%DeltaSUVmax) was 14.3 +/- 15.8%. In the control group of 59 patients with ER+/PR+/HER2- breast carcinoma, the mean values for SUVmax1, SUVmax2, and %DeltaSUVmax were 2.68 +/- 1.9, 2.84 +/- 2.2, and 3.7 +/- 13.0%, respectively. The mean values for SUVmax1, SUVmax2, and %Dgr;SUVmax in the triple-negative group were significantly higher compared with the values in the nontriple-negative control group (P = .0032, P = .002, and P = .017, respectively). When the 2 subgroups were compared according to tumor size, grade, and stage, the SUVmax1 was significantly higher in the triple-negative group for both size categories (5.4 vs 1.9, P = .006; and 9.2 vs 3.5, P = .04) and for grade 3 tumors (9.1 vs 3.9, P = .022). The %DeltaSUVmax values for patients in the triple-negative group who had tumors that measured < or =2 cm and > 2 cm were 14.8 and 13.8, respectively; and the corresponding values for patients in the control group were 0.6 and 6.7, respectively. Although the mean %DeltaSUVmax clearly was higher in the triple-negative group for both tumor size categories, comparison between the 2 groups demonstrated a statistically significant difference in tumors that measured < or =2 cm (P = .016). The authors also observed that, in the triple-negative group, tumor grades were correlated significantly with the magnitude of SUVmax1 and SUVmax2 (P = .012 and P = .01, respectively). Stage for stage, tumors from the triple-negative group appeared to have a higher mean SUVmax1 compared with tumors from nontriple-negative control group. However, the trend reached statistical significance in patients with stage II disease. CONCLUSIONS: Triple-negative breast tumors were associated with enhanced FDG uptake commensurate with their aggressive biology and were detected with very high sensitivity by using FDG-PET imaging.