AJCC Breast Cancer Staging

📌 About Breast Cancer Staging

Breast cancer staging is a critical process used to determine how far the disease has spread. Accurate staging helps guide treatment choices and assess prognosis. One of the most advanced tools for staging is PET-CT (Positron Emission Tomography - Computed Tomography), which combines metabolic and anatomical imaging to detect cancer with high precision.

🧠 How PET-CT Works in Staging

• Combining Function & Structure: PET shows how tissues function (like glucose metabolism), while CT gives detailed structural images. Together, they pinpoint cancer locations more precisely.
• FDG Highlights Active Cells: A radioactive glucose analog called FDG (^18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose) is injected into the body. Cancer cells, due to their high metabolic rate, absorb more FDG.
• Detection Through Gamma Rays: The radioactive decay of ^18F emits positrons, which collide with electrons, producing gamma rays. These are captured by the PET scanner to create a functional image.
• SUV: A Measure of Activity: Standardized Uptake Value (SUV) tells how much FDG a region absorbs — higher values often indicate malignancy.
• Interpreting "Metabolic Activity": Areas with high FDG uptake (high SUV) are termed metabolically active and may represent tumors, lymph nodes, or metastasis. PET-CT helps detect and monitor cancer more effectively than anatomical imaging alone.

⚠️ While PET-CT is powerful in cancer staging, results should always be interpreted by qualified physicians. This platform is for educational and awareness purposes only.