Magnetic resonance imaging identifies multifocal and multicentric disease in breast cancer patients who are eligible for partial breast irradiation

• Published in: Cancer 2008-11, Vol.113 (9), p.2408-2414
• Main Authors: Al‐Hallaq, Hania A., Mell, Loren K., Bradley, Julie A., Chen, Lucy F., Ali, Arif N., Weichselbaum, Ralph R., Newstead, Gillian M., Chmura, Steven J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - diagnosis; Breast Neoplasms - radiotherapy; Breast Neoplasms - surgery; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast - diagnosis; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast - radiotherapy; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast - surgery; Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating - diagnosis; Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating - radiotherapy; Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating - surgery; Female; Genital system. Mammary gland; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Mammography; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Staging; partial breast irradiation; Predictive Value of Tests; Prognosis; radiotherapy; Radiotherapy. Instrumental treatment. Physiotherapy. Reeducation. Rehabilitation, orthophony, crenotherapy. Diet therapy and various other treatments (general aspects); Retrospective Studies; Tumors; whole‐breast irradiation
• ISSN: 0008-543X; 1097-0142
• DOI: 10.1002/cncr.23872

BACKGROUND. In this retrospective study, the authors hypothesized that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) would alter partial breast irradiation (PBI) eligibility by identifying cancers outside the PBI volume compared with mammography alone. METHODS. Since 2002, MRI was used nonselectively at the authors' institution for the staging of patients with nonmetastatic breast cancer. Of 450 consecutive patients with invasive breast cancer, 110 patients who were eligible for PBI were identified by using criteria outlined by National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project B‐39/Radiation Oncology Group trial 0413 based on mammography, ultrasonography, and initial pathology. In that trial, patients were randomized (stage I/II invasive cancers that measured ≤3 cm and ≤3 positive lymph nodes) to receive either whole‐breast radiotherapy or PBI. MRI reports were reviewed to determine whether MRI identified secondary lesions 1) within the same quadrant (multifocal), 2) in a different quadrant (multicentric), or 3) in the contralateral breast. These lesions were pathologically proven carcinoma and would have rendered the patient ineligible for PBI. RESULTS. MRI identified secondary lesions in 10% of patients (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.4%‐15.6%). Multifocal disease was identified in 3.6% (95% CI, 1.4%‐9%), multicentric disease was identified in 4.5% (95% CI, 2%‐10.2%), and contralateral disease was identified in 1.8% (95% CI, 0.5%‐6.4%). The proportion of patients with false‐positive MRI findings was 4.5% (95% CI, 2%‐10.2%). The positive predictive value of MRI was 72.2% (95% CI, 46.4%‐89.3%). CONCLUSIONS. MRI identified frequent secondary cancers that would not be removed routinely by surgery or targeted in the radiation field if treated with PBI. The current data suggest that MRI should be considered to assess PBI eligibility to minimize potential local failures. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) identified frequent (10%) secondary invasive or ductal carcinoma in situ cancers that would not be removed routinely by surgery or targeted in the radiation field if treated with partial breast irradiation (PBI). Data from this study suggested that MRI should be considered to assess PBI eligibility to minimize potential local failures.