EVALUATION OF PET/CT IMAGING, MANUAL PALPATION AND ULTRASONOGRAPHY IN DIAGNOSING AXILLARY LYMPH NODE METASTASES OF BREAST CANCER

Objective To evaluate the value of PET/CT imaging and manual palpation, ultrasonography in diagnosing axillary metastases lymph node of breast cancer. Methods Before definite therapy 50 patients with diagnosing breast cancer underwent 18F-FDG PET-CT imaging, manual palpation and ultrasonography respectively. The results of the histopathology after surgery were used as diagnostic golden standard. The findings of PET-CT imaging, manual palpation and ultrasonography in diagnosing axillary metastases lymph node of breast cancer were compared. Results The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and positive predictive value obtained by PET-CT were 83.3%, 66.7%, 79.2% and 88.2%, respectively, and which were 87.5%,40.0%,73.5%,77.8% and 69.4%,66.7%,68.8%,86.2% with ultrasonography and manual palpation. In the diagnostic ability among the three methods there was no significant difference showed (p0.05). Conclusions Without enough sensitivity and accuracy, three ways could not become exact means for diagnosing axillary metastases lymph node of breast cancer, But PET-CT has a higher degree of accuracy than ultrasonography and manual palpation, PET-CT and ultrasonography have a higher degree of sensitivity than manual palpation in diagnosing axillary metastases lymph node of breast cancer. PET-CT can provide more aspects of in information in breast cancer.