title: Role of MRI in the staging of breast cancer patients: does histological type and molecular subtype matter?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the role of MRI in the pre-operative staging of patients with different histological types and molecular subtypes of breast cancer, by the assessment of the dimensions of the main tumour and identification of multifocal and/or multicentric disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 160 females diagnosed with breast cancer who underwent breast MRI for pre-operative staging. The size of the primary tumour evaluated by MRI was compared with the pathology (gold standard) using the Pearson's correlation coefficient (r). The presence of multifocal and/or multicentric disease was also evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of patients was 52.6 years (range 30-81 years). Correlation between the largest dimension of the main tumour measured by MRI and pathology was worse for non-special type/invasive ductal carcinoma than for other histological types and was better for luminal A and triple-negative than for luminal B and Her-2 molecular subtypes. Multifocal and/or multicentric disease was present in 48 patients (30.0%), and it was more common in breast carcinomas classified as Her-2 molecular subtype. There was no statistically significant difference in the frequency of multifocal and/or multicentric tumours identified only by MRI in relation to histological type or molecular subtype.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this retrospective study demonstrated that histological types and molecular subtypes might influence the MRI assessment of breast cancers, especially in the evaluation of tumour size.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The real benefit of MRI for treatment planning in patients with breast cancer may be different according to the histological type and molecular subtype.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Imaging, A C Camargo Cancer Center, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Almir G V
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Bitencourt
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Imaging, A C Camargo Cancer Center, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Nara P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Imaging, A C Camargo Cancer Center, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luciana K L
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: França
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Imaging, A C Camargo Cancer Center, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Caroline B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Imaging, A C Camargo Cancer Center, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jociana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Paludo
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Imaging, A C Camargo Cancer Center, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Hugo L S
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Paiva
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Imaging, A C Camargo Cancer Center, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Graziano
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Imaging, A C Camargo Cancer Center, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Camila S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Guatelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Imaging, A C Camargo Cancer Center, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Juliana A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Imaging, A C Camargo Cancer Center, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Elvira F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Marques
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D057234:Preoperative Period; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA