PET Imaging of Breast Cancer: Current Applications and Future Directions.

This article focuses on the expanding role of molecular imaging, particularly positron emission tomography (PET), in the diagnosis, staging, and management of breast cancer. It highlights the established use of FDG-PET/CT, which images glucose metabolism and is valuable for staging locally advanced and metastatic breast cancer, detecting recurrence, and assessing early treatment response. The article also reviews the FDA-approved PET tracer 16α-18F-fluoro-17β-estradiol (FES), which targets estrogen receptor (ER) expression and aids in evaluating ER+ metastatic or recurrent breast cancer, including its ability to predict response to endocrine therapy. Additionally, it discusses emerging PET tracers under investigation, such as 18F-fluorofuranylnorprogesterone (FFNP) for progesterone receptor imaging and other novel agents that may enhance precision medicine approaches in breast oncology. The review emphasizes the importance of breast radiologists understanding these molecular imaging tools to better guide patient care and multidisciplinary collaboration.