Diffusion-weighted Imaging Allows for Downgrading MR BI-RADS 4 Lesions in Contrast-enhanced MRI of the Breast to...

Diffusion-weighted imaging with the calculation of an apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) has been proposed as a quantitative biomarker on contrast-enhanced MRI (CE-MRI) of the breast. There is a need to approve a generalizable ADC cutoff. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether a predefined ADC cutoff allows downgrading of BI-RADS 4 lesions on CE-MRI, avoiding unnecessary biopsies.

This was a retrospective, multicentric, cross-sectional study. Data from five centers were pooled on the individual lesion level. Eligible patients had a BI-RADS 4 rating on CE-MRI. For each center, two breast radiologists evaluated the images. Data on lesion morphology (mass, non-mass), size, and ADC were collected. Histology was the standard of reference. A previously suggested ADC cutoff (≥1.5 × 10^-3 mm²/second) was applied. A negative likelihood ratio of 0.1 or lower was considered as a rule-out criterion for breast cancer. Diagnostic performance indices were calculated by ROC analysis.

There were 657 female patients (mean age, 42; SD, 14.1) with 696 BI-RADS 4 lesions included. Disease prevalence was 59.5% (414/696). The area under the ROC curve was 0.784. Applying the investigated ADC cutoff, sensitivity was 96.6% (400/414). The potential reduction of unnecessary biopsies was 32.6% (92/282).

An ADC cutoff of ≥1.5 × 10^-3 mm²/second allows downgrading of lesions classified as BI-RADS 4 on breast CE-MRI. One-third of unnecessary biopsies could thus be avoided.