Could CEM be suitable alternative for imaging lobular carcinoma?

Contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) can locally stage lobular breast carcinomas and could serve as an alternative to breast MRI, according to research published February 12 in Clinical Radiology. A team led by Elisabetta Giannotti, MD, from Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in Cambridge, U.K., found that CEM had superior sensitivity compared to standard mammography and that both CEM and MRI overestimate tumor size to a similar degree. "Traditionally, breast MRI has been used in many centers for preoperative staging, but CEM appears to be a suitable alternative,” the Giannotti team wrote. Invasive lobular carcinoma is the second most common histological type of breast cancer after invasive ductal carcinoma. While it accounts for 5% to 15% of cases, previous reports suggest that the incidence of lobular carcinoma is increasing at a faster rate than other breast cancer subtypes. The researchers also noted that ultrasound and mammography tend to underestimate lesion size in lobular carcinoma cases and that this type of breast cancer is less likely to be detected by mammography. The latter is due to the growth pattern of infiltration and density less than or equal to normal fibroglandular tissue. This makes breast MRI a recommended modality in preoperative workup in lobular carcinoma cases. Previous studies suggest that CEM has comparable performance to breast MRI and could be helpful for patients with contraindications for MRI. Giannotti and colleagues studied CEM’s performa...
Source: AuntMinnie.com Headlines - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Subspecialties Breast Imaging Source Type: news