Breast cancer researchers say scanning suspicious breast lesions with magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy reduces the need for biopsy by more than 50 percent. Detailing their work in the journal Radiology, the investigators said that with the addition of MR spectroscopy to their breast MR imaging (MRI) protocol, 23 of the 40 suspicious lesions sampled could have been spared biopsy; and none of the resultant cancers would have been missed.
"All cancers in this study were identified with MR spectroscopy. There were no false-negative results," said Lia Bartella, the lead researcher at Memorial Sloan-Kettering. "With the addition of MR spectroscopy to our breast MRI exam, we found that the number of biopsies recommended on the basis of MRI findings decreased significantly. These results should encourage more women to take this potentially life-saving test."
MRI is playing an increasingly important role in the screening of women at high risk for breast cancer, but one drawback is the considerable number of breast biopsy procedures recommended on the basis of imaging findings, which turn out to be benign. With MR spectroscopy, however, the radiologist is able to see the chemical make-up of a tumor and in most cases can tell without biopsy whether or not the lesion is cancerous.
"Breast tumors have elevated levels of choline compounds, which are a marker of an active tumor," Dr. Bartella said. "By performing a brief MR spectroscopy procedure after an MRI scan, which takes only 10 additional minutes, we can non-invasively see which tumors show elevated choline levels, and therefore which lesions are likely malignant. This eliminates the need for biopsy."
Dr. Bartella hopes that in the future, MR spectroscopy will be incorporated into routine diagnostic breast MRI exams. "MR spectroscopy is fast and well tolerated, and could be readily incorporated into a breast MRI examination," said Dr. Bartella. "By reducing the number of benign biopsies recommended at MRI, the use of MR spectroscopy will save unnecessary anxiety, cost and time for both the patient and the medical staff."
Source: Radiological Society of North America
