SONOGRAPHIC, MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING, AND MAMMOGRAPHIC ASSESSMENTSOF PREOPERATIVE SIZE OF BREAST-CANCER

High resolution sonographic (39 cases), magnetic resonance imaging (32 cases), and mammographic (35 cases) measurements of preoperative size of breast cancer were correlated with the pathologic size in 39 patie nts with breast carcinoma to determine the most accurate imaging techn ique for breast cancer size. There were nine T1, 21 T2, four T3, and f our T4 tumors. Sonographic and magnetic resonance imaging measurements of tumor size demonstrated correlation coefficients of 0.92 and 0.93, respectively, both of which were superior to that of mammography (0.8 4). Sonographic tumor size evaluation thus is shown to be equivalent t o magnetic resonance imaging in this study Three of nine (33%), four o f seven (57%), and four of eight (50%) T1 tumors would have been overs taged by ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging, and mammography, respectively. Three of 21 (14.3%), one of 16 (6.3%), and two of 18 (1 1.1%) T2 tumors would have been understaged by ultrasonography, magnet ic resonance imaging, and mammography, respectively. We therefore foun d ultrasonography to be of value in the diagnosis and staging of breas t cancer.