ADC optimal cutoff reduces MRI-prompted breast biopsies

Applying point-of-care apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) cutoffs from diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) could reduce MRI-prompted breast biopsies, a study published February 13 in Radiology found. Researchers led by Inyoung Youn, MD, PhD, from the University of Washington in Seattle found that applying these cutoffs led to a nearly 16% decrease in breast biopsies. They also reported a tradeoff of lowered sensitivity for in situ and microinvasive disease manifesting as nonmass enhancements. “Our study results support adoption of [ADC] cutoffs in the clinical setting, with the caveat that radiologists may need to be more cautious about using ADCs to avert biopsy of non-mass enhancement lesions,” Youn and co-authors wrote. DWI is an MRI technique that uses no contrast, with previous research suggesting it can improve diagnostic accuracy in breast cancer detection. It reflects the diffusion of water molecules in tissue, which allows for lesions to be characterized at the micro level. Such measures can be quantified by ADCs. The researchers highlighted that DWI takes “only a few minutes,” is available on various scanner platforms, and can be integrated into conventional breast MRI protocols. The multicenter A6702 trial, led by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group–American College of Radiology Imaging Network Cancer Research Group, identified an optimal ADC cutoff to potentially reduce biopsies by 21% without affecting sensitivity. However, Youn and colleagues n...
Source: AuntMinnie.com Headlines - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Subspecialties Breast Imaging Source Type: news