COMPUTED-TOMOGRAPHY OR MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING FOR AXILLARY SYMPTOMS FOLLOWING TREATMENT OF BREAST-CARCINOMA - A RANDOMIZED TRIAL

Fifty-eight patients presenting with axillary symptoms (pain, oedema, etc) following radiation therapy for breast carcinoma were randomized to be investigated by either computed tomography (CT: 29 patients) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI: 28). The objectives of the study were to compare the efficacy of the two tests in identifying the presence of tumour and their effectiveness as judged by quality of life (QOL) o utcome measurements. Both tests proved efficacious; the predictive val ues for a positive result (tumour present) were 100% for both tests; t he predictive values for negative findings were in the range of 76 to 90% for CT and 81 to 100% for MRI. As regards outcome, complete QOL da ta were available in 37 patients (17 of these patients had CT, 20 MRI) . Although the mean change in QOL over 6 months was slightly more favo urable in the patients investigated by MRI than in the CT group, the d ifference did not reach statistical significance.