Reno Cardiologist Confirms FMTVDM – Opening New Opportunities for Nuclear Cardiologists

Abstract

Background: A quantitative myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) and oncologic - including molecular breast imaging (MBI) - utility patent (FMTVDM*) previously validated at experienced MPI and MBI centers was independently tested for clinical application at a private practice Reno, Nevada cardiologists office. Methods: Using FMTVDM, a private practice cardiologist independently investigated forty-four regions of interest (ROI) in 12-women with varying transitional levels of breast changes – including breast cancer. Results: Using FMTVDM, a nuclear cardiologist without prior experience in MBI was able to easily measure changes in women’s breast tissue differentiating inflammatory and cancerous breast tissue from normal using the same camera used for MPI. These measured changes provided diagnostically useful information on cellular metabolism and regional blood flow changes (RBF) – the same properties which differentiate ischemic coronary artery disease (CAD) on myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). Conclusions: Quantitative MBI using FMTVDM allows differentiation of tissue types through measurement of enhanced regional blood flow and metabolic differences. Nuclear cardiologists have previously reported cases of breast cancer while conducting MPI studies. This investigation demonstrated that nuclear cardiologists can independently conduct MBI in addition to MPI studies using the nuclear cameras they currently use for MPI.