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Updated: May 24, 2026

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Tracking the Mammary Architectural Features and Detecting Breast Cancer with Magnetic Resonance Diffusion Tensor Imaging
Published on: December 15, 2014
Diffusion-weighted imaging of breast masses: comparison of diagnostic performance using various apparent diffusion
Maki Hirano1, Hiroko Satake, Satoko Ishigaki
1Department of Radiology, Nagoya University School of Medicine, 65 Tsuruma-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan. hirano.maki@b.mbox.nagoya-u.ac.jp
AJR. American Journal of Roentgenology
|February 24, 2012
Summary
Minimum apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) is optimal for differentiating benign from malignant breast lesions on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). Combining minimum ADC with ADC difference value further improves diagnostic accuracy.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Oncology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Breast cancer diagnosis relies on accurate differentiation between benign and malignant lesions.
- Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) offers functional information about tissue microstructure.
- Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values are quantitative metrics used in DWI analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the diagnostic performance of various apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) parameters for distinguishing benign from malignant breast masses.
- To identify the optimal ADC parameters for breast lesion characterization using diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI).
Main Methods:
- Sixty-seven women with 75 masslike lesions underwent 3-Tesla MRI.
- Minimum ADC, average ADC, maximum ADC, and ADC difference value were calculated.
- Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was employed to compare diagnostic performance.
Main Results:
- All ADC parameters showed significant differences between benign and malignant lesions.
- Minimum ADC demonstrated the highest area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.93.
- The combination of minimum ADC and ADC difference value yielded an improved AUC of 0.95.
Conclusions:
- Minimum ADC is a highly effective single parameter for differentiating malignant from benign breast lesions on DWI.
- Combining minimum ADC with ADC difference value significantly enhances the diagnostic performance of breast DWI.
