The role of preoperative breast magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for surgical decision in patients with triple-negative breast cancer.

BACKGROUND

Several reliable randomized studies do not recommend routine preoperative breast MR imaging for patients with breast cancer. However, because the principle of MR imaging is based on the dynamics of contrast enhancement, a specific biologic subgroup of tumors should sensitively respond to the imaging process.

METHODS

From 2008 to 2013, 918 eligible patients with breast cancer underwent breast surgery and were divided into two groups based on preoperative breast MR findings: patients in whom the surgical plan was changed and those in whom the surgical plan remained unchanged. We investigated the changing patterns of breast surgery based on routine mammography, ultrasound, and preoperative breast magnetic resonance (MR) findings and analyzed the association between additional suspicious lesions on breast MR imaging and clinicopathologic factors.

RESULTS

Additional suspicious breast lesions were detected on preoperative MR imaging in 104 cases (11.3%), and the surgical strategy was changed as the final decision in 97 cases (10.6%). There was no difference between oncologic results between two groups. However, the triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) was significantly associated with changing of the surgical strategy based on breast MR findings (P = 0.048).

CONCLUSIONS

Additional preoperative breast MR imaging may be helpful in surgical decision for patients with TNBC.