MRI and conservative treatment of locally advanced breast cancer

AIMS: The objectives of this study were to compare the efficacy of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) in assessing the response of primary breast carcinoma to neoadjuvant chemotherapy compared to conventional imaging modalities, and to see how surgical outcome was influenced as a result of these findings. METHODS: Thirty-four patients with locally advanced primary breast cancer underwent conventional imaging and DCE-MRI following six cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy prior to surgery. Changes in surgical management based on the post-chemotherapy DCE-MRI findings were recorded. RESULTS: Prior to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, 22 of the 34 patients were assessed as requiring mastectomy and the remaining 12 were considered inoperable. Following chemotherapy two patients were still considered inoperable. In 11 of the 34 patients, the final decision to proceed to either mastectomy or non-surgical management was based primarily on pre-treatment disease status or patient choice. DCE-MRI findings, therefore, contributed to the operative decision in 21 of 34 patients. Two of these 21 patients were spared surgery as DCE-MRI demonstrated complete response to chemotherapy and one declined surgery. The remaining 18 were able to undergo wide local excision, with only two patients subsequently requiring mastectomy for involved margins. CONCLUSIONS: DCE-MRI is able to accurately predict those patients suitable for breast conserving surgery following neoadjuvant chemotherapy and should be the imaging modality of choice in assessing the response of patients with primary breast carcinoma to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.