BREAST-CANCER MEASUREMENTS WITH MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING, ULTRASONOGRAPHY, AND MAMMOGRAPHY

Background: Accurate measurement of the size of breast cancers becomes more important as breast cancer therapy advances. This study reports the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasonography and mammography for measuring the largest breast cancer diameter in compar ison to the pathology measurement. Materials and methods: Fourteen bre ast cancers were examined in 13 women with MRI, ultrasonography and ma mmography. The age range was 31-73 (mean 56). Six of the cancers were in premenopausal women. The MRI was performed with the intravenous inj ection of gadolinium based contrast agent and a three dimensional fast spoiled gradient echo sequence with fat suppression. The largest canc er diameter was measured with each imaging technique and compared to t he largest cancer diameter measured at pathology. Results: At patholog ical examination cancers ranged from 0.6 to 6 cm (mean 2.2) in largest diameter. MRI measurements had the highest correlation coefficient (r = 0.98) and the smallest standard error (0.34). Ultrasonography measu rements had a correlation coeffient of r = 0.45 and a standard error o f 0.78. Mammography measurements had a correlation coefficient of r = 0.46 and a standard error of 1.04. Conclusions: MRI was more accurate than ultrasonography and mammography in measuring the largest cancer d iameters in this group of women. This was particularly evident for sev eral larger cancers, and a post-chemotherapy cancer.