A new article demonstrates how FES-PET/CT is becoming an important imaging tool for estrogen receptor (ER)–positive breast cancer, especially invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC), which is often hard to detect with standard scans.
ILC grows in thin “single-file” lines instead of forming clear lumps. Because of this pattern, it can be difficult to see on mammograms, ultrasound, and regular FDG-PET scans. FDG-PET works by tracking how much sugar cancer cells use, but ILC often uses less sugar, which can lead to missed diagnoses.
FES-PET/CT works differently. It uses a tracer that acts like estrogen and attaches directly to estrogen receptors. Since most ILC tumors are ER-positive, this scan can reveal cancer that other imaging methods may not find.