Staging of suspected breast cancer: effect of MR imaging and MR-guided biopsy.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of contrast material-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging on staging of breast cancer in patients with mammographically or clinically suspected tumor.


METHODS
One hundred seventy-six patients underwent breast MR imaging at 1.5 T before excisional biopsy of a suspicious mammographic or palpable abnormality. Diagnostic imaging studies in patients with biopsy-proved or presumed breast carcinoma were reviewed.


RESULTS
Sixty-four patients met the study criteria. MR imaging enabled detection of all 57 invasive breast cancers and nine of 15 in situ cancers. In 22 patients (34%), MR imaging depicted one or more cancers not visible at mammography, 13 (20%) of which were unsuspected multifocal or diffuse disease. As a result of the increased sensitivity of MR imaging compared with that of mammography, clinical staging and subsequent treatment were altered in seven patients (11%).


CONCLUSIONS
MR imaging allows detection of mammographically and clinically occult foci of carcinoma in patients with suspected breast cancer.
Orel
S G
SG
Department of Radiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104, USA.
Schnall
M D
MD
Powell
C M
CM
Hochman
M G
MG
Solin
L J
LJ
Fowble
B L
BL
Torosian
M H
MH
Rosato
E F
EF
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D001940:Breast / Q000473:pathology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008327:Mammography; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity