99mTC-sestamibi breast imaging: Current status, new ideas and future perspectives.

ABSTRACT

Here we proposed the most recent innovations in the use of Breast Specific Gamma Imaging with 99mTc-sestamibi for the management of breast cancer patients. To this end, we reported the recent discoveries concerning a) the implementation of both instrumental devices and software, b) the biological mechanisms involved in the 99mTc-sestamibi uptake in breast cancer cells, c) the evaluation of Breast Specific Gamma Imaging with 99mTc-sestamibi as predictive markers of metastatic diseases. In this last case, we also reported preliminary data about the capability of Breast Specific Gamma Imaging with 99mTc-sestamibi to identify breast cancer lesions with high propensity to form bone metastatic lesions due to the presence of Breast Osteoblast-Like Cells.