A pilot study of trimodality breast imaging surveillance in young women at high risk of breast cancer in Western Australia.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether a surveillance program including clinical breast examination (CBE) and three screening modalities (magnetic resonance imaging [MRI], high-resolution ultrasound [U/S] and mammographic x-ray [MMX]) was feasible, and whether it could improve detection of pathological lesions in young women at high risk of developing breast cancer.


METHODS
Western Australian women aged 50 years or under at high risk of developing breast cancer were recruited to our study. For a 2-year period, they were offered breast MRI and U/S scans in addition to their annual MMX and CBE. Our study was conducted between June 2002 and October 2005.


METHODS
Number and type of cancerous or precancerous lesions; recall rates after screening; comparative sensitivity of screening modalities.


RESULTS
Of 102 women approached, 72 agreed to participate. Fifteen lesions were detected, of which three were significant: a metastatic papillary cancer in an axillary lymph node, a borderline lesion (multiple papillomatosis with atypia), and a papilloma. All 15 lesions were visible on MRI, and four were detected by MRI only. Only one lesion was visible on all three imaging modalities. Nothing significant was detected by CBE. The recall rate after MRI scans fell from 9/72 (12.5%) in the first year to 5/67 (7.5%) in the second year.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study gave valuable experience in a team approach to screening MRI, and showed that MRI can detect more lesions than MMX or U/S in women at high risk of developing breast cancer. Screening U/S may not add value to MMX and MRI screening, and we suggest a single oblique-view MMX may be used in some cases.
Saunders
Christobel M
CM
School of Surgery, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia. christobel.saunders@uwa.edu.au
Peters
Gudrun
G
Longman
Glenys
G
Thomson
Jacqueline
J
Taylor
Donna
D
Hua
Jianmin
J
Bennett
Michelle
M
Wylie
Elizabeth
E
Goldblatt
Jack
J
Chan
Arlene
A
Anderson
James
J
D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008327:Mammography; D008875:Middle Aged; D010173:Palpation; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016217:Ultrasonography, Mammary; D014904:Western Australia