CT staging of loco-regional breast cancer recurrence. A worthwhile practice?

AimsTo assess the usefulness of computed tomography of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis (CTCAP) in the detection of metastatic disease in patients presenting with loco-regional recurrence of breast cancer, and to identify subgroups particularly likely to have metastases.Materials and methodsOver a 32-month period, 63 patients with 65 recurrences underwent CTCAP, and were identified from the hospital's computerized radiology system.ResultsTwenty-one patients (32%) had metastases, including bony (n = 5, 8%), liver (n = 7, 11%), and thoracic disease (n = 11, 17%). Patients with recurrence in a conserved breast had lower rates of metastasis on CT than those with other sites of recurrence [three of 21 (14%) versus 18 of 44 (41%), p = 0.03]. Patients younger than 50 years at primary diagnosis or younger than 60 years at recurrence had statistically significantly higher rates of metastasis than older patients [10 of 16 (63%) versus 11 of 48 (23%), p = 0.003, and 13 of 23 (57%) versus eight of 42 (19%), p = 0.002, respectively].ConclusionCT staging of patients presenting with loco-regional recurrence of breast cancer is a worthwhile practice. Younger patients and those with recurrence other than in the conserved breast are particularly likely to have metastatic disease.