Diagnostic value of dynamic and morphologic breast MRI analysis in the diagnosis of breast cancer

BACKGROUND Mammography is the most widely used method of breast imaging. However, its low sensitivity poses a problem. Breast MRI is one of so the called "complementary" breast imaging methods. The purpose of this study was to improve the specificity of breast MRI by combining 2 methods: dynamic and morphologic analysis of enhancing lesions. MATERIAL/METHODS 222 women aged 19-76 years, who underwent breast MRI examination between November 2002 and April 2004 at the Radiology Department of Oncology Center in Bydgoszcz, were included in this study. RESULTS The pathological examination revealed cancer in 55 women (25%). No cancer was found in 167 women (75%), 56 of which were verified pathologically, 111 by cytology and/or during follow-up (at least 24 months). Results of breast MRI were positive in 80 women (36%), in 54 of which cancer was found during pathological examination, 26 breast MRI results were false positive. Sensitivity and specificity of breast MRI for dynamic analysis were 87% and 72%, respectively; in case of morphologic analysis 98% and 74%, respectively. The combined dynamic and morphologic analysis achieved high (84%) specificity without loss of sensitivity (98%). The difference in specificity between the evaluated methods was statistically significant (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS The combined dynamic and morphologic breast MRI analysis is a useful method for the diagnosis of breast cancer.