Clinical Applications of Dedicated Breast Positron Emission Tomography

Designed for increased spatial resolution, breast specific positron imaging systems provide higher sensitivity than whole-body PET for breast cancer detection. Although breast-specific positron imaging systems are not widely used in clinical practice in the United States, there are increasing clinical data published by several international sites, mainly Japan. Further research is necessary into the appropriate clinical applications for breast-specific positron imaging to provide clinically significant information to guide management and treatment decisions for patients with breast cancer. Continued technical innovation using radiomics and deep learning techniques, as well as the exploration of radiopharmaceuticals beyond FDG, will likely contribute to the evolving future clinical applications for breast-specific positron imaging.