18-FDG PET/MRI Performs Comparably to 18-FDG PET/CT and Better Than MRI in Metastatic Breast Cancer

Amy Melsaether¹, Akshat C. Pujara, Rajan Rakheja, Mohammed Shaikh, Eric E. Sigmund, Sungheon Kim, Christian Geppert, Linda Moy

This study describes and compares the novel modality, 18FDG-PET/MRI, with 18FDG-PET/CT and whole body MRI alone in the evaluation of multi-organ system metastatic breast cancer. Results suggest PET/MRI provides similar sensitivity and confidence for suspicious lesions across organ systems as compared with PET/CT and increased specificity as compared with PET/CT and MRI alone, also across organ systems, for lower confidence lesions. Although PET/MRI detects more incidentalomas, the MRI data is usually sufficient for characterization and additional tests are not frequently required. PET/MRI can provide this information at approximately one-half the radiation dose of 18FDG-PET/CT.