3.0 Tesla vs 1.5 Tesla breast magnetic resonance imaging in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients.

AIM: To compare 3.0 Tesla (T) vs 1.5T magnetic resonance (MR) imaging systems in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. METHODS: Upon Institutional Review Board approval, a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-compliant retrospective review of 147 consecutive 3.0T MR examinations and 98 consecutive 1.5T MR examinations in patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer between 7/2009 and 5/2010 was performed. Eleven patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the 3.0T group were excluded. Mammographically occult suspicious lesions (BIRADS Code 4 and 5) additional to the index cancer in the ipsilateral and contralateral breast were identified. Lesion characteristics and pathologic diagnoses were recorded, and results achieved with both systems compared. Statistical significance was analyzed using Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: In the 3.0T group, 206 suspicious lesions were identified in 55% (75/136) of patients and 96% (198/206) of these lesions were biopsied. In the 1.5T group, 98 suspicious lesions were identified in 53% (52/98) of patients and 90% (88/98) of these lesions were biopsied. Biopsy results yielded additional malignancies in 24% of patients in the 3.0T group vs 14% of patients in the 1.5T group (33/136 vs 14/98, P = 0.07). Average size and histology of the additional cancers was comparable. Of patients who had a suspicious MR imaging study, additional cancers were found in 44% of patients in the 3.0T group vs 27% in the 1.5T group (33/75 vs 14/52, P = 0.06), yielding a higher positive predictive value (PPV) for biopsies performed with the 3.0T system. CONCLUSION: 3.0T MR imaging detected more additional malignancies in patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer and yielded a higher PPV for biopsies performed with the 3.0T system.

Breast imaging of the pregnant and lactating patient: imaging modalities and pregnancy-associated breast cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to review key clinical, histologic, and imaging features of pregnancy-associated breast cancer. A discussion of imaging modalities, including mammography, ultrasound, and MRI, and imaging-based interventions available for evaluating this population is provided. CONCLUSION: Successful detection of pregnancy-associated breast cancer requires knowledge of key clinical and imaging features of pregnancy-associated breast carcinoma and selection of the appropriate imaging workup and intervention.

Breast imaging of the pregnant and lactating patient: physiologic changes and common benign entities.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to review key clinical, histologic, and imaging features of expected physiologic changes within the breast and common benign breast disease in the pregnant and lactating patient. CONCLUSION: A thorough understanding of expected physiologic changes and common benign breast abnormalities of pregnancy and lactation is required to differentiate these entities from pregnancy-associated breast cancer and to appropriately guide patient management.