Predicting Axillary Metastasis of Breast Cancer Patients with MRI Relaxometry

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Radiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Breast cancer is a significant global health concern, with axillary lymph node status crucial for accurate staging and treatment.
• Effective detection of axillary metastases is vital for optimizing patient management and improving outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the diagnostic performance of MRI relaxometry in identifying axillary lymph node metastases in breast cancer patients.
• To assess the correlation between specific MRI relaxometry parameters and the presence of axillary metastases.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving 67 breast cancer patients utilizing 1.5 Tesla MRI to measure relaxometry parameters (T2Max, T2Min, 1HAv).
• Histopathological confirmation of axillary metastases via core-needle biopsy or surgical specimens.
• Statistical analysis including ROC curves, chi-square tests, and multivariate analysis.

Main Results:

• Significant associations were observed between T2Min-ipsilateral (p=0.018) and 1HAv-ipsilateral (p=0.003) with axillary metastases.
• ROC analysis indicated modest to acceptable discriminatory abilities for T2Min-ipsilateral (AUC=0.681) and 1HAv-ipsilateral (AUC=0.740).
• Integrated clinical and imaging models achieved enhanced diagnostic accuracy (AUC=0.749).

Conclusions:

• MRI relaxometry parameters, specifically T2Min and 1HAv, demonstrate potential in detecting axillary metastases in breast cancer.
• The integration of MRI relaxometry with clinical and pathological evaluations significantly improves diagnostic accuracy for axillary lymph node involvement.