Preoperative Breast MRI Identifies Additional Cancer in Nearly 25 Percent of Young Women with Breast Cancer
Additional carcinoma in the ipsilateral breast was detected on preoperative MRI exams in 24 out of 102 women prior to lumpectomy and mastectomy procedures, according to new study findings presented at the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago.
Preoperative breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exams may have a significant impact for young women undergoing surgical procedures for breast cancer, according to emerging research presented at the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago.
For the retrospective review, researchers reviewed clinical data and preoperative breast MRI findings for 102 women, ranging from 22 to 40 years of age, who underwent surgery for breast cancer. According to the study, 51 women had heterogeneously dense breasts and 30 women in the cohort had extremely dense breasts. The study authors noted that clinical symptoms led to breast cancer detection in approximately 80 percent of the cohort.
Over half of the cohort (55 patients, 53.9 percent) had additional findings on preoperative MRI exams. Subsequent biopsies revealed additional cancer in 25 of these patients (45.5 percent), according to the researchers.
In a new retrospective review involving 102 women (ranging from 22 to 40 years of age) with breast cancer, researchers found that preoperative MRI led to additional cancer detection in 25 patients (24.5 percent). (Image courtesy of Adobe Stock.)
“The use of preoperative MRI for the treatment of breast cancer in young patients increases the detection of occult breast cancer prior to definitive therapy in 24.5% of patients, critically important information for optimal management,” emphasized lead study author Tugce Erguven, who is affiliated with the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, D.C., and colleagues.
For the 25 patients with additional breast cancer, the study authors pointed out that 96 percent of the cases (24 patients) involved additional concert in the ipsilateral breast while another case involved additional detection in the contralateral breast.
“We recommend that all young women with newly diagnosed breast cancer undergo pre-operative MRI to further optimize patient care,” added Erguven and colleagues.
Reference
1. Erguven T, Arafat A, Brem R, Effects of preoperative breast MRI on surgical management in women aged 40 years and younger with breast cancer. Presented at the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, May 31-June 4, 2024, Chicago. Available at: https://meetings.asco.org/abstracts-presentations/. Accessed May 31, 2024.
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