Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 23, 2026
Tracking the Mammary Architectural Features and Detecting Breast Cancer with Magnetic Resonance Diffusion Tensor Imaging
Published on: December 15, 2014
Detection of breast malignancy: diagnostic MR protocol for improved specificity
Wei Huang1, Paul R Fisher, Khaldoon Dulaimy
1Department of Radiology, State University of New York, Stony Brook, USA. huangw2@mskcc.org
Purpose:
To prospectively determine if a combined magnetic resonance (MR) protocol that includes T1-weighted dynamic contrast agent-enhanced (DCE) MR imaging, hydrogen 1 (1H) MR spectroscopy, and T2*-weighted perfusion MR imaging improves specificity in the diagnosis of breast cancer.
Materials And Methods:
The combined MR imaging-MR spectroscopy protocol was performed in 50 patients after positive findings at mammography but prior to biopsy. Single-voxel proton MR spectroscopy and perfusion MR imaging were conducted only if DCE MR images showed rapid contrast enhancement in the lesion. Biopsy results were used as the reference for comparison with MR results and for calculation of sensitivity and specificity in the detection of breast malignancy.
Results:
DCE MR imaging alone showed 100% sensitivity and 62.5% specificity. The specificity improved to 87.5% with the addition of 1H MR spectroscopy and to 100% with the further addition of perfusion MR imaging. Twenty-eight patients underwent both MR spectroscopy and perfusion MR imaging. Two patients underwent MR spectroscopy but declined to undergo perfusion MR imaging. The remaining 20 patients had negative results at DCE MR imaging and therefore did not undergo the additional examinations.
Conclusion:
The combined MR protocol of DCE MR imaging, 1H MR spectroscopy, and perfusion MR imaging has high sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of breast cancer.
