Determination of the Estrogen Receptor Status of Leptomeningeal Metastasis in Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer Using [18F]-FES PET/CT: a Case Report.

ABSTRACT

Accurate determination of the hormone receptor status in patients with breast cancer is necessary to provide better palliative treatment because of the frequent discordant status of hormone receptors between primary breast cancer and metastatic lesions. In particular, the invasive nature and small number of cells recovered from the cerebrospinal fluid collected through lumbar puncture limit the detailed immunocytochemistry investigation of leptomeningeal metastasis. Moreover, none of the conventional imaging modalities provide any information on the hormone receptor status of leptomeningeal metastasis in patients with breast cancer. Herein, we report estrogen receptor-positive leptomeningeal metastasis clearly demonstrated by 16α-[18F]-fluoro-17ß-estradiol ([18F]-FES) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in a patient with metastatic breast cancer.