Positron Emission Tomography Before Surgery in Evaluating Women With Primary or Recurrent Breast Cancer

OBJECTIVES:

- Determine the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of fludeoxyglucose F 18 (FDG)
positron emission tomography (PET) as compared to conventional imaging in determining
the extent of disease in women with primary or recurrent breast cancer.

- Determine how often clinical management and operative intervention plans for patients
are altered based on these FDG-PET scan findings.

- Determine whether FDG-PET results in more accurate detection of disease in these
patients.

OUTLINE: Patients receive fludeoxyglucose F 18 IV. Approximately 1 hour later, patients
undergo positron emission tomography imaging. Some patients may undergo a repeat scan in 4-6
months.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: (50 with primary disease and 50 with recurrent disease) will be accrued
for this study within 1-2 years.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Diagnosis of breast cancer for which surgical intervention is planned

- Large primary breast cancer (i.e., larger than 5 cm, T3) as determined by prior
biopsy, physical exam, or mammogram OR

- Locally advanced breast cancer (T4) OR

- Clinical suspicion of axillary nodal disease (N1-2) (i.e., stage IIB-IIIA) OR

- Locally or regionally recurrent disease

- No locally recurrent disease that is non-invasive (i.e., ductal carcinoma in situ)

- No locally advanced disease (e.g., inflammatory breast cancer) that will be treated
with neoadjuvant chemotherapy without surgery

- Hormone receptor status:

- Not specified

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

- Not specified

Sex:

- Female

Menopausal status:

- Not specified

Performance status:

- Not specified

Life expectancy:

- Not specified

Hematopoietic:

- Not specified

Hepatic:

- Not specified

Renal:

- Not specified

Other:

- No other malignancy except previously treated nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in
situ of the cervix

- No known active infection

- No autoimmune disease or inflammatory disease (e.g., sarcoidosis or rheumatoid
arthritis)

- Able to fast for 6 hours and tolerate a FDG-PET scan for the duration of the test

- Not pregnant or nursing

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

- Not specified

Chemotherapy:

- See Disease Characteristics

Endocrine therapy:

- Not specified

Radiotherapy:

- Not specified

Surgery:

- See Disease Characteristics