title: Triple-negative breast cancer: correlation between MR imaging and pathologic findings.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To retrospectively evaluate the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings of "triple-negative" breast cancer (ie, cancer that is estrogen receptor [ER] negative, progesterone receptor [PR] negative, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 [HER2] negative) and to compare them with those of breast cancers that are ER positive, PR positive, and HER2 negative.
  
  
  METHODS
  Institutional review board approval and informed consent were obtained. The MR imaging findings in 176 randomly assigned women (mean age, 56 years; range, 29-87 years) with surgically confirmed triple-negative breast cancers (n = 59) or ER-positive/PR-positive/HER2-negative breast cancers (n = 117) were reviewed. MR imaging findings included tumor shape, margin, internal enhancement, and size, as well as intratumoral signal intensity that was stronger than or almost the same as that of water or vessels on T2-weighted MR images. The MR imaging findings were compared with the pathologic findings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  High histologic grade (P < .001), unifocal lesion (P = .012), mass lesion type (P < .001), smooth mass margin (P = .001), rim enhancement (P < .001), persistent enhancement pattern (P = .005), and very high intratumoral signal intensity on T2-weighted MR images (P = .002) were significantly associated with triple-negative breast cancer. Very high intratumoral signal intensity on T2-weighted MR images was significantly associated with intratumoral necrosis (P < .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Several MR imaging features might be used for detecting triple-negative breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Breast Imaging and Breast Intervention Section, Shizuoka Cancer Center Hospital, Naga-izumi, Shizuoka 411-8777, Japan. t.uematsu@scchr.jp
authors.forename: Takayoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uematsu
authors.forename: Masako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kasami
authors.forename: Sachiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yuen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013223:Statistics as Topic
chemical_list: D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen