Molecular Imaging (Sep 2011)

Increased Breast Density Correlates with the Proliferation-Seeking Radiotracer Tc(V)-DMSA Uptake in Florid Epithelial Hyperplasia and in Mixed Ductal Carcinoma in Situ with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma but Not in Pure Invasive Ductal Carcinoma or in Mild Epithelial Hyperplasia

  • Vassilios Papantoniou,
  • Pipitsa Valsamaki,
  • Evangelia Sotiropoulou,
  • Angeliki Tsaroucha,
  • Spyridon Tsiouris,
  • Maria Sotiropoulou,
  • Spyridon Marinopoulos,
  • Evangelia Kounadi,
  • Theodore Karianos,
  • Athina Fothiadaki,
  • Aikaterini Archontaki,
  • Konstantinos Syrgiannis,
  • Nikolaos Ptohis,
  • Nikolaos Makris,
  • Georgios Limouris,
  • Aris Antsaklis

DOI
https://doi.org/10.2310/7290.2010.00056
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10

Abstract

Read online

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship of mammographic breast density (BD) and cell proliferation/focal adhesion kinase activation–seeking radiotracer technetium 99m pentavalent dimercaptosuccinic acid ( 99m Tc(V)-DMSA) uptake in women with different breast histologies, that is, mild epithelial hyperplasia (MEH), florid epithelial hyperplasia (FEH), mixed ductal carcinoma in situ with invasive ductal carcinoma (DCIS + IDC), and pure IDC. Fifty-five women with histologically confirmed mammary pathologies were submitted preoperatively to mammography and 99m Tc(V)-DMSA scintimammography. The percentage and intensity of 99m Tc(V)-DMSA uptake and the percentage of BD were calculated by computer-assisted methods and compared ( t -test) between the breast pathologies. In breasts with increased BD, FEH and DCIS + IDC were found. On the contrary, pure IDC and MEH were identified in breasts with significantly lower BD values. In breasts with increased 99m Tc(V)-DMSA area and intensity of uptake, FEH was the main lesion found compared to all other histologies. Linear regression analysis between BD and 99m Tc(V)-DMSA uptake area and intensity revealed significant coefficients of correlation ( r = .689, p < .001 and r = .582, p < .001, respectively). Increased BD correlates with the presence of FEH and mixed DCIS + IDC but not with pure IDC or MEH. Its close relationship to 99m Tc(V)-DMSA, which also showed an affinity to FEH, indicates that stromal microenvironment may constitute a specific substrate leading to progression to different subtypes of cancerous lesions originating from different pathways.