MRI Washout Useful for Identifying Malignant Breast Lesions

Computer-aided kinetic information can help significantly in distinguishing benign from malignant suspicious breast lesions on MRI, according to a study published in the September issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.
 
“We wanted to clarify which, of the many variables that reflect kinetics, were most predictive of malignancy, says Constance Lehman, MD, lead author of the study.
 
In the study, performed at the University of Washington Medical Center, researchers analyzed and compared the computer-aided evaluation variables of 125 suspicious breast lesions. Three different kinetic curves (washout, plateau, and persistent) were compared along with lesion morphology (size and shape).
 
“Of lesions with the most suspicious curve type (any washout), 45.7% were malignant compared with 20.0% with plateau, and 13.3% with entirely persistent enhancement,” Lehman says. “We found overlap in kinetic patterns across benign and malignant lesions, but we did determine that the “most suspicious” curve type, washout, was useful in separating benign from malignant lesions.”
 
“We continue to study the specific features on MRI most predictive of breast cancer. We know that the morphology of the lesion is extremely important, but our study also supports the use of kinetic features in lesion assessment,” says Lehman. “In breast MRI, it is important to know which variables are most important for predicting malignancy because they help us in determining whether or not a lesion needs to be biopsied or not.”

— Source: American Roentgen Ray Society