Researchers at Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital (RBWH) are introducing an advanced imaging technique that could dramatically improve how invasive lobular breast cancer is detected and staged in Queensland. 

In a first for our state, the project will bring advanced FES-PET imaging to local patients to map estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer throughout the body and conduct a pilot study to determine whether the technology provides a more accurate picture of the disease than conventional imaging. 

If successful, this research could pave the way for faster, more personalised and more effective treatment for women across Queensland.

Invasive lobular breast cancer accounts for around one in seven breast cancer diagnoses, but it is one of the most difficult forms of breast cancer to accurately detect. 

Unlike many other breast cancers, lobular tumours often spread through breast tissue in a diffuse pattern, making them difficult to see on standard imaging such as mammograms, CT scans and even some PET scans. As a result, the true extent of the disease can be underestimated, delaying appropriate treatment and reducing opportunities for the best possible outcomes. 

This project aims to change that. 

Using a radioactive tracer that locates and attaches to breast cancer cells that have oestrogen receptors, FES-PET imaging can reveal cancer throughout the body based on its biological characteristics, giving clinicians a much clearer understanding of where the disease has spread.  

The long-term goal is to establish FES-PET as a precision imaging tool that helps clinicians make better treatment decisions, reduces the need for invasive biopsies and identifies the most effective therapies sooner. By bringing this technology to Queensland for the first time, the project also lays the foundation for broader access across Australia, ensuring more women benefit from earlier, more accurate diagnosis and personalised breast cancer care.