Association Between the Volume Transfer Constant (K^trans) From Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Perfusion MR and HER2 Status...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Radiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Accurate HER2 (human epidermal growth factor 2) status determination is crucial for targeted therapy in breast cancer brain metastases.
• Non-invasive methods are needed due to risks associated with brain biopsy and potential HER2 status discordance between primary tumors and metastases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate if Ktrans (volume transfer constant) from dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) perfusion brain MRI can distinguish HER2 status in breast cancer brain metastases.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of patients with histopathologically confirmed breast cancer brain metastases who underwent preoperative DCE perfusion brain MRI and HER2 assessment.
• Comparison of Ktrans values between HER2-positive and HER2-negative metastases using Mann-Whitney tests.

Main Results:

• Nine patients with nine brain metastases were analyzed (3 HER2-positive, 6 HER2-negative).
• Significantly higher Ktrans values were observed in HER2-positive metastases (0.09 min⁻¹) compared to HER2-negative metastases (0.02 min⁻¹), p=0.024.

Conclusions:

• Ktrans derived from DCE perfusion brain MRI shows potential as a non-invasive biomarker for differentiating HER2-positive from HER2-negative breast cancer brain metastases.
• Further validation in large, prospective, multi-center trials is warranted.