Aims and objectives
Diffusion Weighted Imaging (DWI) and DCE-MRI (Dynamic Contrast Enhanced-MRI) are the most useful sequences to study breast cancer on MRI.
DWI acquisition represents the diffusion or motion of water molecules in a voxel due to Brownian motion.
Hyperintense areas in DWI correspond to restricted diffusion of water molecules determined by tissue properties (e.s lipophilic cell membranes in normal tissues),
tissues with a high cellular density (e.s.
breast cancer) and water molecules in the interstitial compartment (e.s.
edema).
Low hyperintense signal is typical of normal breast...
Methods and materials
Patients population: in our retrospective study we enrolled 50 patients with histological diagnosis of breast cancer by core needle biopsy before NACT .
They underwent two breast MRI exam in the period from June 2015 to October 2018, one before the fist NACT administration and the other after 2-3 chemotherapy cycles,
about 6 months after the first MRI exam/ corresponding about at 6 months later than the first MRI exam .
According to the histological classification of breast cancer,
our 50 case were comprised of...
Results
Breast volumes: 2 patients showed no response to chemotherapy.
38 patients showed a response to chemotherapy and were divided into three responders groups: complete responders,
responders with reduction of tumor lesions >80% and responders with reduction of tumor lesions < 80%.
At 1.5 tesla scanner 28 patients were evaluated : 9 patients had complete regression of breast cancer,
7 patients had a volume reduction of breast lesion > 80% and 12 patients had a volume reduction of breast tumor <80% .
At 3Tesla scanner 10...
Conclusion
Altough the limitation of a small study population,
our results demonstrate that Fusion technique to evaluate ADC values before and after NACT represents an efficient tool for defining the efficacy of chemotherapy.
References
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Sijens PE (2014) Effect of b value and pre-admission of contrast on diagnostic accuracy of 1.5-T breast DWI: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
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24(11):2835-47.
Xue-Ying Hu1,*,
Ying Li1,*,
Guan-Qiao Jin1,
Shao-Lv Lai1,
Xiang-Yang Huang1 and Dan-Ke Su (2017). Diffusion-weighted MR imaging in prediction of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with...