Can whole-tumor apparent diffusion coefficient histogram analysis be helpful to evaluate breast phyllode tumor...

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Oncology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Phyllode tumors (PTs) are fibroepithelial neoplasms of the breast.
• Accurate grading of PTs is crucial for treatment and prognosis.
• Distinguishing between benign, borderline, and malignant PTs can be challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of whole-tumor apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) histogram analysis in differentiating breast phyllode tumor (PT) grades.
• To compare the effectiveness of ADC histogram analysis with conventional MRI features for PT grading.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 56 PTs (23 benign, 22 borderline, 11 malignant) using 1.5T MRI.
• Conventional MRI parameters and ADC values (circular, single-slice, whole-tumor ROIs) were assessed.
• Comparison of MRI findings with Ki-67 index for tumor grading.

Main Results:

• Conventional MRI features like margin, cystic component, and peritumoral edema showed significant differences between benign and borderline/malignant PTs.
• Whole-tumor ADC histogram analysis did not significantly differentiate between PT grades.
• Good intraobserver agreement was achieved for ADC measurements across different ROI types.

Conclusions:

• Whole-tumor ADC histogram analysis is not superior to conventional MRI features for differentiating breast PT grades.
• Morphological characteristics on conventional MRI are more valuable for PT grading.
• ADC values may serve as a supplemental tool in differentiating PT grades.