Search

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on health care. In the Netherlands, hospital capacity for non-covid care was limited and population screening temporarily halted. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the pandemic on the diagnostic pathway of breast cancer. Methods: In this study, 48,425 breast cancer patients with a primary breast tumour were selected from the Netherlands Cancer Registry and the Dutch Hospital Data. Patients diagnosed in period January 2020 to July 2021 were divided into six periods, based on the number of hospitalizations due to the COVID-19 pandemic and compared to the same periods in 2017-2019. A t-test was performed to compare the number of diagnosed patients per period. Patient characteristics were compared using chi-squared test. The impact on the procedures performed was analysed using logistic regression. The median time between diagnosis and therapy and the median time between first diagnostic procedure and therapy was analysed using Cox Proportional Hazards Regression. All results were corrected for age, stage and region. Results: During the first peak of the pandemic in 2020, significantly fewer patients (-48,2%) have been diagnosed with breast cancer. This decrease is mainly seen in lower stage tumours. Mammography and echography were performed significantly less per patient during the first recovery in 2020 (OR=0.83 and OR=0.85 respectively) compared to 2017-2019. PET-CT was performed significantly more often during the first peak and first recovery in 2020 (OR=1.94 and OR=1.39 respectively). The median time between diagnosis and start of therapy significantly decreased in 2020, during the first peak by 3 days (HR=1.26), during first recovery and second peak by 1 day (HR=1.04 and HR=1.16 respectively). The median time between first diagnostic procedure and start of therapy significantly decreased in 2020, during the first peak by 4 days (HR=1.25), during the first recovery by 1 day (HR=1.04) and during the second peak by 2 days (HR=1.13). Conclusion: The decreased number of diagnosis was related to the temporary halt of the screening. Diagnostics for early stage tumours was limited and for PET-CT was performed more often reflecting the change in proportion of higher stage. A reduced time of the diagnostic pathway is the result of less hospitalized patients with cancer and the effort on keeping the oncology care in place. Table 1. Overview results diagnostic pathway of breast cancer. *significant difference between periods p Citation Format: Wouter Wolfkamp, Joyce Meijer, Jolanda Van Hoeve, Jeroen Veltman, Sabine Siesling. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diagnostic pathway of breast cancer in the Netherlands: a population-based study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2022 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(5 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-05-19.

Objectives To report mastectomy and reoperation rates in women who had breast MRI for screening (S-MRI subgroup) or diagnostic (D-MRI subgroup) purposes, using multivariable analysis for investigating the role of MRI referral/nonreferral and other covariates in driving surgical outcomes. Methods The MIPA observational study enrolled women aged 18–80 years with newly diagnosed breast cancer destined to have surgery as the primary treatment, in 27 centres worldwide. Mastectomy and reoperation rates were compared using non-parametric tests and multivariable analysis. Results A total of 5828 patients entered analysis, 2763 (47.4%) did not undergo MRI (noMRI subgroup) and 3065 underwent MRI (52.6%); of the latter, 2441/3065 (79.7%) underwent MRI with preoperative intent (P-MRI subgroup), 510/3065 (16.6%) D-MRI, and 114/3065 S-MRI (3.7%). The reoperation rate was 10.5% for S-MRI, 8.2% for D-MRI, and 8.5% for P-MRI, while it was 11.7% for noMRI (p ≤ 0.023 for comparisons with D-MRI and P-MRI). The overall mastectomy rate (first-line mastectomy plus conversions from conserving surgery to mastectomy) was 39.5% for S-MRI, 36.2% for P-MRI, 24.1% for D-MRI, and 18.0% for noMRI. At multivariable analysis, using noMRI as reference, the odds ratios for overall mastectomy were 2.4 (p p = 0.957) for D-MRI, and 1.9 (p Conclusions Patients from the D-MRI subgroup had the lowest overall mastectomy rate (24.1%) among MRI subgroups and the lowest reoperation rate (8.2%) together with P-MRI (8.5%). This analysis offers an insight into how the initial indication for MRI affects the subsequent surgical treatment of breast cancer. Key Points • Of 3065 breast MRI examinations, 79.7% were performed with preoperative intent (P-MRI), 16.6% were diagnostic (D-MRI), and 3.7% were screening (S-MRI) examinations. • The D-MRI subgroup had the lowest mastectomy rate (24.1%) among MRI subgroups and the lowest reoperation rate (8.2%) together with P-MRI (8.5%). • The S-MRI subgroup had the highest mastectomy rate (39.5%) which aligns with higher-than-average risk in this subgroup, with a reoperation rate (10.5%) not significantly different to that of all other subgroups.

Objectives: This study aimed to systematically review recent health economic evaluations (HEEs) of artificial intelligence (AI) applications in healthcare. The aim was to discuss pertinent methods, reporting quality and challenges for future implementation of AI in healthcare, and additionally advise future HEEs. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted in 2 databases (PubMed and Scopus) for articles published in the last 5 years. Two reviewers performed independent screening, full-text inclusion, data extraction, and appraisal. The Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards and Philips checklist were used for the quality assessment of included studies. Results:A total of 884 unique studies were identified; 20 were included for full-text review, covering a wide range of medical specialties and care pathway phases. The most commonly evaluated type of AI was automated medical image analysis models (n = 9, 45%). The prevailing health economic analysis was cost minimization (n = 8, 40%) with the costs saved per case as preferred outcome measure. A total of 9 studies (45%) reported model-based HEEs, 4 of which applied a time horizon >1 year. The evidence supporting the chosen analytical methods, assessment of uncertainty, and model structures was underreported. The reporting quality of the articles was moderate as on average studies reported on 66% of Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards items. Conclusions: HEEs of AI in healthcare are limited and often focus on costs rather than health impact. Surprisingly, model-based long-term evaluations are just as uncommon as model-based short-term evaluations. Consequently, insight into the actual benefits offered by AI is lagging behind current technological developments.

Purpose We analysed incidence, treatment, survival, occurrence of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and invasive breast cancer (IBC) after lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) in the Netherlands. Methods All women diagnosed with classic LCIS between 1989 and 2017 were identified from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. We calculated overall (OS), relative survival (RS) and cumulative incidence functions (CIF, accounting for competing risks) of mortality, DCIS and IBC. For IBC, standardised incidence ratios (SIR) of IBC were calculated. Analyses were stratified for surgical treatment. Results We included 1890 patients. Median age was 51 years. Median follow-up was 8.5 years. In 1989–2017, LCIS incidence increased from 41 to 124, surgical treatment decreased from 100% to 41.1 % – mostly BCS. 10-year OS and 20-year RS exceeded 90 % in all subgroups. Overall, 48 (2.5 %) and 270 (14.3 %) patients were diagnosed with DCIS and IBC. IBCs were mostly early-stage. After mastectomy, 13 of 14 IBCs presented contralaterally. In the other groups, 64.8–70.9 % of IBCs presented ipsilaterally, 34.5–53.9 % of these were lobular. The SIR of ipsilateral IBC was highest after no surgery (6.9, 95%CI:4.9–9.4), lowest after mastectomy (0.2, 95%CI:0.4–0.8). Conclusion LCIS incidence increased, surgical treatment decreased. The low mortality risks support consideration of active surveillance. However, the increased IBC incidence suggests careful monitoring., Highlights • The incidence of LCIS increased, while surgical treatment decreased over time. • 10- and 20-year relative survival rates exceeded 90 %, irrespective of surgery. • The risk of breast cancer was highest after no surgery, lowest after mastectomy. • Subsequent breast cancers were generally of low stage. • Active surveillance for LCIS is advised, with the current follow-up five years.

Background Risk stratification in men with suspicion of prostate cancer (PCa) requires reliable diagnostic tests, not only to identify high-grade PCa, also to minimize the overdetection of low-grade PCa, and reduction of “unnecessary” prostate MRIs and biopsies. This study aimed to evaluate the SelectMDx test to detect high-grade PCa in biopsy-naïve men. Subsequently, to assess combinations of SelectMDx test and multi-parametric (mp) MRI and its potential impact on patient selection for prostate biopsy. Methods This prospective multicenter diagnostic study included 599 biopsy-naïve patients with prostate-specific antigen level ≥3 ng/ml. All patients underwent a SelectMDx test and mpMRI before systematic transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy (TRUSGB). Patients with a suspicious mpMRI also had an in-bore MR-guided biopsy (MRGB). Histopathologic outcome of TRUSGB and MRGB was used as reference standard. High-grade PCa was defined as ISUP Grade Group (GG) ≥ 2. The primary outcome was the detection rates of low- and high-grade PCa and number of biopsies avoided in four strategies, i.e., (1) SelectMDx test-only, (2) mpMRI-only, (3) SelectMDx test followed by mpMRI when SelectMDx test was positive (conditional strategy), and (4) SelectMDx test and mpMRI in all (joint strategy). A positive SelectMDx test outcome was a risk score of ≥−2.8. Decision curve analysis (DCA) was performed to assess clinical utility. Results Prevalence of high-grade PCa was 31% (183/599). Thirty-eight percent (227/599) of patients had negative SelectMDx test in whom biopsy could be avoided. Low-grade PCa was not detected in 35% (48/138) with missing 10% (18/183) high-grade PCa. Yet, mpMRI-only could avoid 49% of biopsies, not detecting 4.9% (9/183) of high-grade PCa. The conditional strategy reduces the number of mpMRIs by 38% (227/599), avoiding biopsy in 60% (357/599) and missing 13% (24/183) high-grade PCa. Low-grade PCa was not detected in 58% (80/138). DCA showed the highest net benefit for the mpMRI-only strategy, followed by the conditional strategy at-risk thresholds >10%. Conclusions SelectMDx test as a risk stratification tool for biopsy-naïve men avoids unnecessary biopsies in 38%, minimizes low-grade PCa detection, and misses only 10% high-grade PCa. Yet, using mpMRI in all patients had the highest net benefit, avoiding biopsy in 49% and missing 4.9% of high-risk PCa. However, if mpMRI availability is limited or expensive, using mpMRI-only in SelectMDx test positive patients is a good alternative strategy.

Objectives: An important aim of follow-up after primary breast cancer treatment is early detection of locoregional recurrences (LRR). This study compares 2 personalized follow-up scheme simulations based on LRR risk predictions provided by a time dependent prognostic model for breast cancer LRR and quantifies their possible follow-up efficiency.Methods: Surgically treated early patients with breast cancer between 2003 and 2008 were selected from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. The INFLUENCE nomogram was used to estimate the 5-year annual LRR. Applying 2 thresholds, they were defined according to Youden's J-statistic and a predefined follow-up sensitivity of 95%, respectively. These patient's risk estimations served as the basis for scheduling follow-up visits; 2 personalized follow-up schemes were simulated. The number of potentially saved follow-up visits and corresponding cost savings for each follow-up scheme were compared with the current Dutch breast cancer guideline recommendation and the observed utilization of follow-up on a training and testing cohort.Results: Using LRR risk-predictions for 30 379 Dutch patients with breast cancer from 2003 to 2006 (training cohort), 2 thresholds were calculated. The threshold according to Youden's approach yielded a follow-up sensitivity of 62.5% and a potential saving of 62.1% of follow-up visits and euro24.8 million in 5 years. When the threshold corresponding to 95% follow-up sensitivity was used, 17% of follow-up visits and euro7 million were saved compared with the guidelines. Similar results were obtained by applying these thresholds to the testing cohort of 11 462 patients from 2007 to 2008. Compared with the observed utilization of follow-up, the potential cost-savings decline moderately.Conclusions: Personalized follow-up schemes based on the INFLUENCE nomogram's individual risk estimations for breast cancer LRR could decrease the number of follow-up visits if one accepts a limited risk of delayed LRR detection.

Purpose The biopsy procedure is an important phase in breast cancer diagnosis. Accurate breast imaging and precise needle placement are crucial in lesion targeting. This paper presents an end-effector (EE) for robotic 3D ultrasound (US) breast acquisitions and US-guided breast biopsies. The EE mechanically guides the needle to a specified target within the US plane. The needle is controlled in all degrees of freedom (DOFs) except for the direction of insertion, which is controlled by the radiologist. It determines the correct needle depth and stops the needle accordingly. Method In the envisioned procedure, a robotic arm performs localization of the breast, 3D US volume acquisition and reconstruction, target identification and needle guidance. Therefore, the EE is equipped with a stereo camera setup, a picobeamer, US probe holder, a three-DOF needle guide and a needle stop. The design was realized by prototyping techniques. Experiments were performed to determine needle placement accuracy in-air. The EE was placed on a seven-DOF robotic manipulator to determine the biopsy accuracy on a cuboid phantom. Results Needle placement accuracy was 0.3 ± 1.5 mm in and 0.1 ± 0.36 mm out of the US plane. Needle depth was regulated with an accuracy of 100 µm (maximum error 0.89 mm). The maximum holding force of the stop was approximately 6 N. The system reached a Euclidean distance error of 3.21 mm between the needle tip and the target and a normal distance of 3.03 mm between the needle trajectory and the target. Conclusion An all in one solution was presented which, attached to a robotic arm, assists the radiologist in breast cancer imaging and biopsy. It has a high needle placement accuracy, yet the radiologist is in control like in the conventional procedure.

Purpose: An important aim of follow-up after primary breast cancer treatment is early detection of locoregional recurrences (LRR) to improve survival. This study proposes and simulates two personalized follow-up schemes based on LRR risk predictions provided by the INFLUENCE-nomogram (a time-dependent prognostic model for breast cancer-LRR) and quantifies their possible follow-up efficiency. Methods: Patients with early breast cancer who received surgery with curative intent between 2003 and 2008 were selected from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. The INFLUENCE-nomogram was used to estimate five annual LRR risks for every patient. Applying two thresholds, defined according to (a) Youden’s J-statistic, and (b) a pre-defined follow-up sensitivity of 95%, these risk estimations served as basis to decide when to schedule follow-up visits; thus, two personalized follow-up schemes were simulated. The number of potentially saved follow-up visits and corresponding cost savings for each follow-up scheme were compared to the current Dutch breast cancer guideline on a training and testing cohort. Results: Using LRR risk predictions for 30,379 Dutch breast cancer patients from 2003 to 2006 (training cohort), two thresholds were calculated. The threshold according to Youden’s approach yielded a follow-up sensitivity of 62.5% and a potential saving of 62.1% of follow-up visits and 24.8 M €. When the threshold corresponding to 95% follow-up sensitivity is used, 17.0% of follow-up visits and 7.0 M € could be saved. Similar results were obtained by applying these thresholds to the testing cohort of 11,462 patients from 2007 to 2008. Conclusion: Personalized follow-up schemes based on the INFLUENCE-nomogram’s individual risk estimations for breast cancer-LRR could decrease the number of follow-up visits if one accepts a limited risk of delayed LRR detection. Citation Format: Teresa Draeger, Vinzenz Voelkel, Catharina GM Groothuis-Oudshoorn, Miha Lavric, Jeroen Veltman, Anneriet Dassen, Lisbeth J. Boersma, Annemieke Witteveen, Gabe S. Sonke, Hendrik Koffijberg, Sabine Siesling. Applying risk-based follow-up strategies on the Dutch breast cancer population: Consequences for care and costs [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-08-11.

Funder: Radboud University Medical Center, Objectives: This study aims to define consensus-based criteria for acquiring and reporting prostate MRI and establishing prerequisites for image quality. Methods: A total of 44 leading urologists and urogenital radiologists who are experts in prostate cancer imaging from the European Society of Urogenital Radiology (ESUR) and EAU Section of Urologic Imaging (ESUI) participated in a Delphi consensus process. Panellists completed two rounds of questionnaires with 55 items under three headings: image quality assessment, interpretation and reporting, and radiologists’ experience plus training centres. Of 55 questions, 31 were rated for agreement on a 9-point scale, and 24 were multiple-choice or open. For agreement items, there was consensus agreement with an agreement ≥ 70% (score 7–9) and disagreement of ≤ 15% of the panellists. For the other questions, a consensus was considered with ≥ 50% of votes. Results: Twenty-four out of 31 of agreement items and 11/16 of other questions reached consensus. Agreement statements were (1) reporting of image quality should be performed and implemented into clinical practice; (2) for interpretation performance, radiologists should use self-performance tests with histopathology feedback, compare their interpretation with expert-reading and use external performance assessments; and (3) radiologists must attend theoretical and hands-on courses before interpreting prostate MRI. Limitations are that the results are expert opinions and not based on systematic reviews or meta-analyses. There was no consensus on outcomes statements of prostate MRI assessment as quality marker. Conclusions: An ESUR and ESUI expert panel showed high agreement (74%) on issues improving prostate MRI quality. Checking and reporting of image quality are mandatory. Prostate radiologists should attend theoretical and hands-on courses, followed by supervised education, and must perform regular performance assessments. Key Points: • Multi-parametric MRI in the diagnostic pathway of prostate cancer has a well-established upfront role in the recently updated European Association of Urology guideline and American Urological Association recommendations. • Suboptimal image acquisition and reporting at an individual level will result in clinicians losing confidence in the technique and returning to the (non-MRI) systematic biopsy pathway. Therefore, it is crucial to establish quality criteria for the acquisition and reporting of mpMRI. • To ensure high-quality prostate MRI, experts consider checking and reporting of image quality mandatory. Prostate radiologists must attend theoretical and hands-on courses, followed by supervised education, and must perform regular self- and external performance assessments.

The goal of this study was to describe the variation in hospital-based diagnostic care activities for patients with symptomatology suspect for breast cancer in The Netherlands. Two cohorts were included: the ‘benign’ cohort (30,334 women suspected of, but without breast cancer) and the ‘malignant’ cohort (2236 breast cancer patients). Hospital-based financial data was combined with tumor data (malignant cohort) from The Netherlands Cancer Registry. Patterns within diagnostic pathways were analyzed. Factors influencing the number of visits and number of diagnostic care activities until diagnosis were identified in the malignant cohort with multivariable Cox and Poisson regression models. Compared to patients with benign diagnosis, patients with malignant disease received their diagnosis less frequently in one day, after an equal average number of hospital visits and higher average number of diagnostic activities. Factors increasing the number of diagnostic care activities were the following: lower age and higher cM-and cN-stages. Factors increasing the number of days until (malignant) diagnosis were as follows: higher BIRADS-score, screen-detected and higher cN-and cT-stages. Hospital of diagnosis influenced both number of activities and days to diagnosis. The diagnostic care pathway of patients with malignant disease required more time and diagnostic activities than benign disease and depends on hospital, tumor and patient characteristics.

Background Regular follow-up after treatment for breast cancer is crucial to detect potential recurrences and second contralateral breast cancer in an early stage. However, information about follow-up patterns in the Netherlands is scarce. Patients and Methods Details concerning diagnostic procedures and policlinic visits in the first 5 years following a breast cancer diagnosis were gathered between 2009 and 2019 for 9916 patients from 4 large Dutch hospitals. This information was used to analyze the adherence of breast cancer surveillance to guidelines in the Netherlands. Multivariable logistic regression was used to relate the average number of a patient’s imaging procedures to their demographics, tumor–treatment characteristics, and individual locoregional recurrence risk (LRR), estimated by a risk-prediction tool, called INFLUENCE. Results The average number of policlinic contacts per patient decreased from 4.4 in the first to 2.0 in the fifth follow-up year. In each of the 5 follow-up years, the share of patients without imaging procedures was relatively high, ranging between 31.4% and 33.6%. Observed guidelines deviations were highly significant (P < .001). A higher age, lower UICC stage, and having undergone radio- or chemotherapy were significantly associated with a higher chance of receiving an imaging procedure. The estimated average LRR-risk was 3.5% in patients without any follow-up imaging compared with 2.3% in patients with the recommended number of 5 imagings. Conclusion Compared to guidelines, more policlinic visits were made, although at inadequate intervals, and fewer imaging procedures were performed. The frequency of imaging procedures did not correlate with the patients’ individual risk profiles for LRR.

Aim This study was conducted in order to investigate the role of gray-scale ultrasound (US) and optoacoustic imaging combined with gray-scale ultrasound (OA/US) to better differentiate between breast cancer molecular subtypes. Materials and methods All 67 malignant masses included in the Maestro trial were retrospectively reviewed to compare US and OA/US feature scores and histopathological findings. Kruskal–Wallis tests were used to analyze the relationship between US and OA/US features and molecular subtypes of breast cancer. If a significant relationship was found, additional Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney tests were used to identify the differences between molecular subtype groups. Results US sound transmission helped to differentiate between LUMA and LUMB, LUMB and TNBC, and LUMB and all other molecular subtypes combined (p values

Background: There is growing interest to implement multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) and MR-guided biopsy (MRGB) for biopsy-naïve men with suspected prostate cancer. Objective: Primary objective was to compare and evaluate an MRI pathway and a transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy (TRUSGB) pathway in biopsy-naïve men with prostate-specific antigen levels of ≥3 ng/ml. Design, setting, and population: A prospective, multicenter, powered, comparative effectiveness study included 626 biopsy-naïve patients (from February 2015 to February 2018). Intervention: All patients underwent prebiopsy mpMRI followed by systematic TRUSGB. Men with suspicious lesions on mpMRI also underwent MRGB prior to TRUSGB. MRGB was performed using the in-bore approach. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis: Clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) was defined as grade group ≥2 (Gleason score ≥3 + 4) in any core. The main secondary objectives were the number of men who could avoid biopsy after nonsuspicious mpMRI, the number of biopsy cores taken, and oncologic follow-up. Differences in proportions were tested using McNemar's test with adjusted Wald confidence intervals for differences of proportions with matched pairs. Results and limitations: The MRI pathway detected csPCa in 159/626 (25%) patients and insignificant prostate cancer (insignPCa) in 88/626 patients (14%). TRUSGB detected csPCa in 146/626 patients (23%) and insignPCa in 155/626 patients (25%). Relative sensitivity of the MRI pathway versus the TRUSGB pathway was 1.09 for csPCa (p = 0.17) and 0.57 for insignPCa (p < 0.0001). The total number of biopsy cores reduced from 7512 to 849 (–89%). The MRI pathway enabled biopsy avoidance in 309/626 (49%) patients due to nonsuspicious mpMRI. Immediate TRUSGB detected csPCa in only 3% (10/309) of these patients, increasing to 4% (13/309) with 1-yr follow-up. At the same time, TRUSGB would overdetect insignPCa in 20% (63/309). “Focal saturation” by four additional perilesional cores to MRGB improved the detection of csPCa in 21/317 (7%) patients. Compared with the literature, our proportion of nonsuspicious mpMRI cases is significantly higher (27–36% vs 49%) and that of equivocal cases is lower (15–28% vs 6%). This is probably due to the high-quality standard in this study. Therefore, a limitation is the duplication of these results in less experienced centers. Conclusions: In biopsy-naïve men, the MRI pathway compared with the TRUSGB pathway results in an identical detection rate of csPCa, with significantly fewer insignPCa cases. In this high-quality standard study, almost half of men have nonsuspicious MRI, which is higher compared with other studies. Not performing TRUS biopsy is at the cost of missing csPCa only in 4%. Patient summary: We compared magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with MRI-guided biopsy against standard transrectal ultrasound biopsy for the diagnosis of prostate cancer in biopsy-naïve men. Our results show that patients can benefit from MRI because biopsy may be omitted in half of men, and fewer indolent cancers are detected, without compromising the detection of harmful disease. Men also need fewer needles to make a diagnosis. In biopsy-naïve patients, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) pathway compared with a transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy pathway significantly reduces the detection rate of insignificant prostate cancer without impairing the detection rate of clinically significant prostate cancer. There is a potential to reduce the number of men requiring biopsy after nonsuspicious MRI to half, with an acceptable underdetection rate of 4%.

Background To make magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) more accessible to men at risk of high-grade prostate cancer (PCa), there is a need for quicker, simpler, and less costly MRI protocols. Objective To compare the diagnostic performance of monoplanar (“fast” biparametric MRI [bp-MRI]) and triplanar noncontrast bp-MRI with that of the current contrast-enhanced multiparametric MRI (mp-MRI) in the detection of high-grade PCa in biopsy-naive men. Design, setting, and participants A prospective, multireader, head-to-head study included 626 biopsy-naive men, between February 2015 and February 2018. Intervention Men underwent prebiopsy contrast-enhanced mp-MRI. Prior to biopsy, two blinded expert readers subsequently assessed “fast” bp-MRI, bp-MRI, and mp-MRI. Thereafter, systematic transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsies (SBs) were performed. Men with suspicious mp-MRI (Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System 3–5 lesions) also underwent MR-in-bore biopsy (MRGB). Outcome measurements and statistical analysis Primary outcome was the diagnostic performance of each protocol for the detection of high-grade PCa. Secondary outcomes included the difference in biopsy avoidance, detection of low-grade PCa, acquisition times, decision curve analyses, inter-reader agreement, and direct costs. Results from combined MRGB and SB were used as the reference standard. High-grade PCa was defined as grade ≥2. Results and limitations Sensitivity for high-grade PCa for all protocols was 95% (180/190; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 91–97%). Specificity was 65% (285/436; 95% CI: 61–70%) for “fast” bp-MRI and 69% (299/436; 95% CI: 64–73%) for bp-MRI and mp-MRI. With fast bp-MRI, 0.96% (6/626) more low-grade PCa was detected. Biopsy could be avoided in 47% for the fast bp-MRI and in 49% for the bp-MRI and mp-MRI protocols. Fast bp-MRI and bp-MRI can be performed in 8 and 13 min, respectively, instead of 16 min at lower direct costs. Inter-reader agreement was 90% for fast bp-MRI protocol and 93% for bp-MRI protocol. A main limitation is the generalizability of these results in less experienced centers. Conclusions Short MRI protocols can improve prostate MRI accessibility at a lower direct cost. For fast bp-MRI, this is at the cost of ∼2% more biopsies and ∼1% more overdetection of low-grade PCa. In order to implement this technique in nonexpert, low-volume, lower-field-strength scanners, further prospective studies have to be performed. Patient summary We compared the value of three different magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocols for the detection of prostate cancer in men with elevated prostate-specific antigen levels. Our results show that, when used in expert centers, shorter MRI protocols do not compromise the detection of harmful disease. This increases MRI capacity at lower direct costs.

Objectives Preoperative breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can inform surgical planning but might cause overtreatment by increasing the mastectomy rate. The Multicenter International Prospective Analysis (MIPA) study investigated this controversial issue. Methods This observational study enrolled women aged 18–80 years with biopsy-proven breast cancer, who underwent MRI in addition to conventional imaging (mammography and/or breast ultrasonography) or conventional imaging alone before surgery as routine practice at 27 centers. Exclusion criteria included planned neoadjuvant therapy, pregnancy, personal history of any cancer, and distant metastases. Results Of 5896 analyzed patients, 2763 (46.9%) had conventional imaging only (noMRI group), and 3133 (53.1%) underwent MRI that was performed for diagnosis, screening, or unknown purposes in 692/3133 women (22.1%), with preoperative intent in 2441/3133 women (77.9%, MRI group). Patients in the MRI group were younger, had denser breasts, more cancers ≥ 20 mm, and a higher rate of invasive lobular histology than patients who underwent conventional imaging alone (p p p p Conclusions Clinicians requested breast MRI for women with a higher a priori probability of receiving mastectomy. MRI was associated with 11.3% more mastectomies, and with 3.2% fewer reoperations in the breast conservation subgroup. Key Points • In 19% of patients of the MIPA study, breast MRI was performed for screening or diagnostic purposes. • The current patient selection to preoperative breast MRI implies an 11% increase in mastectomies, counterbalanced by a 3% reduction of the reoperation rate. • Data from the MIPA study can support discussion in tumor boards when preoperative MRI is under consideration and should be shared with patients to achieve informed decision-making.

Contains fulltext : 229543.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) OBJECTIVE: To determine the yield of preoperative screening for COVID-19 with chest CT and RT-PCR in patients without COVID-19 symptoms. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Many centers are currently screening surgical patients for COVID-19 using either chest CT, RT-PCR or both, due to the risk for worsened surgical outcomes and nosocomial spread. The optimal design and yield of such a strategy are currently unknown. METHODS: This multicenter study included consecutive adult patients without COVID-19 symptoms who underwent preoperative screening using chest CT and RT-PCR before elective or emergency surgery under general anesthesia. RESULTS: A total of 2093 patients without COVID-19 symptoms were included in 14 participating centers; 1224 were screened by CT and RT-PCR and 869 by chest CT only. The positive yield of screening using a combination of chest CT and RT-PCR was 1.5% [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.8-2.1]. Individual yields were 0.7% (95% CI: 0.2-1.1) for chest CT and 1.1% (95% CI: 0.6-1.7) for RT-PCR; the incremental yield of chest CT was 0.4%. In relation to COVID-19 community prevalence, up to approximately 6% positive RT-PCR was found for a daily hospital admission rate >1.5 per 100,000 inhabitants, and around 1.0% for lower prevalence. CONCLUSIONS: One in every 100 patients without COVID-19 symptoms tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 with RT-PCR; this yield increased in conjunction with community prevalence. The added value of chest CT was limited. Preoperative screening allowed us to take adequate precautions for SARS-CoV-2 positive patients in a surgical population, whereas negative patients needed only routine procedures.

Contains fulltext : 225795.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) Despite its high diagnostic performance, the use of breast MRI in the preoperative setting is controversial. It has the potential for personalized surgical management in breast cancer patients, but two of three randomized controlled trials did not show results in favor of its introduction for assessing the disease extent before surgery. Meta-analyses showed a higher mastectomy rate in women undergoing preoperative MRI compared to those who do not. Nevertheless, preoperative breast MRI is increasingly used and a survey from the American Society of Breast Surgeons showed that 41% of respondents ask for it in daily practice. In this context, a large-scale observational multicenter international prospective analysis (MIPA study) was proposed under the guidance of the European Network for the Assessment of Imaging in Medicine (EuroAIM). The aims were (1) to prospectively and systematically collect data on consecutive women with a newly diagnosed breast cancer, not candidates for neoadjuvant therapy, who are offered or not offered breast MRI before surgery according to local practice; (2) to compare these two groups in terms of surgical and clinical endpoints, adjusting for covariates. The underlying hypotheses are that MRI does not cause additional mastectomies compared to conventional imaging, while reducing the reoperation rate in all or in subgroups of patients. Ninety-six centers applied to a web-based call; 36 were initially selected based on volume and quality standards; 27 were active for enrollment. On November 2018, the target of 7000 enrolled patients was reached. The MIPA study is presently at the analytic phase. Key Points • Breast MRI has a high diagnostic performance but its utility in the preoperative setting is controversial. • A large-scale observational multicenter prospective study was launched to compare women receiving with those not receiving preoperative MRI. • Twenty-seven centers enrolled more than 7000 patients. The study is presently at the analytic phase.

Purpose: This study aimed to validate and update a model for predicting the risk of axillary lymph node (ALN) metastasis for assisting clinical decision-making.Methods: We included breast cancer patients diagnosed at six Dutch hospitals between 2011 and 2015 to validate the original model which includes six variables: clinical tumor size, tumor grade, estrogen receptor status, lymph node longest axis, cortical thickness and hilum status as detected by ultrasonography. Subsequently, we updated the original model using generalized linear model (GLM) tree analysis and by adjusting its intercept and slope. The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC) and calibration curve were used to assess the original and updated models. Clinical usefulness of the model was evaluated by false-negative rates (FNRs) at different cut-off points for the predictive probability.Results: Data from 1416 patients were analyzed. The AUC for the original model was 0.774. Patients were classified into four risk groups by GLM analysis, for which four updated models were created. The AUC for the updated models was 0.812. The calibration curves showed that the updated model predictions were better in agreement with actual observations than the original model predictions. FNRs of the updated models were lower than the preset 10% at all cut-off points when the predictive probability was less than 12.0%. ER Conclusions: The original model showed good performance in the Dutch validation population. The updated models resulted in more accurate ALN metastasis prediction and could be useful preoperative tools in selecting low-risk patients for omission of axillary surgery. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd, BASO - The Association for Cancer Surgery, and the European Society of Surgical Oncology. All rights reserved.

Purpose To assess the ability of optoacoustic (OA) ultrasonography (US) to help correctly downgrade benign masses classified as Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) 4a and 4b to BI-RADS 3 or 2. Materials and Methods OA/US technology uses laser light to detect relative amounts of oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin in and around suspicious breast masses. In this prospective, multicenter study, results of 209 patients with 215 breast masses classified as BI-RADS 4a or 4b at US are reported. Patients were enrolled between 2015 and 2016. Masses were first evaluated with US with knowledge of previous clinical information and imaging results, and from this information a US imaging-based probability of malignancy (POM) and BI-RADS category were assigned to each mass. The same masses were then re-evaluated at OA/US. During the OA/US evaluation, radiologists scored five OA/US features, and then reassigned an OA/US-based POM and BI-RADS category for each mass. BI-RADS downgrade and upgrade percentages at OA/US were assessed by using a weighted sum of the five OA feature scores. Results At OA/US, 47.9% (57 of 119; 95% CI: 0.39, 0.57) of benign masses classified as BI-RADS 4a and 11.1% (three of 27; 95% CI: 0.03, 0.28) of masses classified as BI-RADS 4b were correctly downgraded to BI-RADS 3 or 2. Two of seven malignant masses classified as BI-RADS 4a at US were incorrectly downgraded, and one of 60 malignant masses classified as BI-RADS 4b at US was incorrectly downgraded for a total of 4.5% (three of 67; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.13) false-negative findings. Conclusion At OA/US, benign masses classified as BI-RADS 4a could be downgraded in BI-RADS category, which would potentially decrease biopsies negative for cancer and short-interval follow-up examinations, with the limitation that a few masses may be inappropriately downgraded.

Stormram 3 is a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-compatible robotic system that can perform MR-guided breast biopsies of suspicious lesions. The base of the robot measures 160 # 180 # 90 mm, and it is actuated by five custom pneumatic linear stepper motors, driven by a valve manifold outside the Faraday cage of the MRI scanner. All parts can be rapidly prototyped with three-dimensional (3-D) printing or laser cutting, making the design suitable for other applications, such as actuation in hazardous environments. Based on the choice of materials, the robot (with the exception of the needle) is inherently MR safe. Measurements show that the maximum force of the T-49 actuator is 70 N, at a pressure of 0.3 MPa. The Stormram 3 has an optimized repeatability that is lower than 0.5 mm, and it can achieve a positional accuracy on the order of 2 mm.

Contains fulltext : 170913.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) PURPOSE: To evaluate MR-targeted TRUS prostate biopsy using a novel local reference augmentation method. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Tracker-based MR-TRUS fusion was applied using local reference augmentation. In contrast to conventional whole gland fusion, local reference augmentation focuses the highest registration accuracy to the region surrounding the lesion to be biopsied. Pre-acquired multi-parametric MR images (mpMRI) were evaluated using PIRADS classification. T2-weighted MR images were imported on an ultrasound machine to allow for MR-TRUS fusion. Biopsies were targeted to the most suspicious lesion area identified on mpMRI. Each target was biopsied 1-5 times. For each biopsied lesion the diameter, PIRADS and Gleason scores, visibility during fusion, and representativeness were recorded. RESULTS: Included were 23 consecutive patients with 25 MR suspicious lesions, of which 11 patients had a previous negative TRUS-guided biopsy and 12 were biopsy naive. The cancer detection rate was 64 % (Gleason score >/=6). Biopsy was negative (i.e., no Gleason score) in seven patients confirmed by follow-up in all of them (up to 18 months). After MR-TRUS fusion, 88 % of the lesions could be visualized on TRUS. The cancer detection rate increases with increasing lesion size, being 73 % for lesions larger than 10 mm. CONCLUSION: Tracker-based MR-TRUS fusion biopsy with local reference augmentation is feasible, especially for lesions with an MR maximum diameter of at least 10 mm or PIRADS 5 lesions. If this is not the case, we recommend in-bore MR-guided biopsy.

Suspicious lesions in the breast that are only visible on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) need to be biopsied under MR guidance with high accuracy and efficiency for accurate diagnosis. The aim of this study is to present a novel robotic system, the Stormram 4, and to perform preclinical tests in an MRI environment. Excluding racks and needle, its dimensions are 72 × 51 × 40 mm. The Stormram 4 is driven by two linear and two curved pneumatic stepper motors. The linear motor is capable of exerting 63 N of force at a pressure of 0.65 MPa. In an MRI environment the maximum observed stepping frequency is 30 Hz (unloaded), or 8 Hz when full force is needed. The Stormram 4’s mean positioning error is 0.73 ± 0.47 mm in free air, and 1.29 ± 0.59 mm when targeting breast phantoms in MRI. Excluding the off-the-shelf needle, the robot is inherently MR safe. The robot is able to accurately target lesions under MRI guidance, reducing tissue damage and risk of false negatives. These results are promising for clinical experiments, improving the quality of healthcare in the field of MRI-guided breast biopsies. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s10439-018-2051-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Objectives: Breast cancer screening using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has limited accessibility due to high costs of breast MRI. Ultrafast dynamic contrast-enhanced breast MRI can be acquired within 2 minutes. We aimed to assess whether screening performance of breast radiologist using an ultrafast breast MRI-only screening protocol is as good as performance using a full multiparametric diagnostic MRI protocol (FDP).Materials and Methods: The institutional review board approved this study, and waived the need for informed consent. Between January 2012 and June 2014, 1791 consecutive breast cancer screening examinations from 954 women with a lifetime risk of more than 20% were prospectively collected. All women were scanned using a 3 T protocol interleaving ultrafast breast MRI acquisitions in a full multiparametric diagnostic MRI protocol consisting of standard dynamic contrast-enhanced sequences, diffusion-weighted imaging, and T2-weighted imaging. Subsequently, a case set was created including all biopsied screen-detected lesions in this period (31 malignant and 54 benign) and 116 randomly selected normal cases with more than 2 years of follow-up. Prior examinations were included when available. Seven dedicated breast radiologists read all 201 examinations and 153 available priors once using the FDP and once using ultrafast breast MRI only in 2 counterbalanced and crossed-over reading sessions.Results: For reading the FDP versus ultrafast breast MRI alone, sensitivity was 0.86 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.81-0.90) versus 0.84 (95% CI, 0.78-0.88) (P = 0.50), specificity was 0.76 (95% CI, 0.74-0.79) versus 0.82 (95% CI, 0.79-0.84) (P = 0.002), positive predictive value was 0.40 (95% CI, 0.36-0.45) versus 0.45 (95% CI, 0.41-0.50) (P = 0.14), and area under the receiver operating characteristics curve was 0.89 (95% CI, 0.82-0.96) versus 0.89 (95% CI, 0.82-0.96) (P = 0.83). Ultrafast breast MRI reading was 22.8% faster than reading FDP (P Conclusions: Breast MRI screening using only an ultrafast breast MRI protocol is noninferior to screening with an FDP and may result in significantly higher screening specificity and shorter reading time.

In breast cancer screening, the radiologist may find lesions that need to be biopsied for accurate histological evaluation. The current manual biopsy procedure is inaccurate and inefficient. A robotic system is proposed that can manipulate a biopsy needle inside the scanner bore. The robot has five degrees of freedom, driven by single and dual-speed stepper motors. In combination with the versatile breast fixation system, it is able to target lesions anywhere in the breast. A safety mechanism is included that ejects the needle out of the breast in case of emergency. With these novelties incorporated, the proposed system solves important limitations of state-of-art robotic systems concerning speed/accuracy, workspace and safety.

Item does not contain fulltext Women with extremely dense breasts have an increased risk of breast cancer and lower mammographic tumor detectability. Nevertheless, in most countries, these women are currently screened with mammography only. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has the potential to improve breast cancer detection at an early stage because of its higher sensitivity. However, MR imaging is more expensive and is expected to be accompanied by an increase in the number of false-positive results and, possibly, an increase in overdiagnosis. To study the additional value of MR imaging, a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design is needed in which one group undergoes mammography and the other group undergoes mammography and MR imaging. With this design, it is possible to determine the proportion of interval cancers within each study arm. For this to be an effective screening strategy, the additional cancers detected at MR imaging screening must be accompanied by a subsequent reduction in interval cancers. The Dense Tissue and Early Breast Neoplasm Screening, or DENSE, trial is a multicenter RCT performed in the Dutch biennial population-based screening program (subject age range, 50-75 years). The study was approved by the Dutch Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport. In this study, mammographic density is measured by using a fully automated volumetric method. Participants with extremely dense breasts (American College of Radiology breast density category 4) and a negative result at mammography (Breast Imaging Recording and Data System category 1 or 2) are randomly assigned to undergo additional MR imaging (n = 7237) or to be treated according to current practice (n = 28 948). Participants provide written informed consent before the MR imaging examination, which consists of dynamic breast MR imaging with gadolinium-based contrast medium and is intended to be performed for three consecutive screening rounds. The primary outcome is the difference in the proportions of interval cancers between the study arms. Secondary outcomes are the number of MR imaging screening-detected cancers, proportions of false-positive results, diagnostic yield of MR imaging, tumor characteristics, quality of life, and cost effectiveness. ((c)) RSNA, 2015.

Targeting of small lesions with high precision is essential in an early phase of breast cancer for diagnosis and accurate follow up, and subsequently determines prognosis. Current techniques to diagnose breast cancer are suboptimal, and there is a need for a small, MRI-compatible robotic system able to target lesions with high precision and direct feedback of MRI. Therefore, the design and working mechanism of the new Stormram 4, an MRI-compatible needle manipulator with four degrees of freedom, will be presented to take biopsies of small lesions in the MRI scanner. Its dimensions (excluding racks and needle) are 72×51×40 mm, and the system is driven by two linear and two curved pneumatic stepper motors. The T-26 linear motor measures 26×21×16 mm, has a nominal step size of 0.25 mm and the measured maximum force is 63N at 0.65 MPa. The workspace has a total volume of 2.2 L. Accuracy measurements have shown that the mean positioning error is 0.7 mm, with a reproducibility of 0.1 mm. Velocity measurements with 5 m long tubes show a maximum stepping frequency of 8 Hz (maximum force) to 30 Hz (unloaded). These results show that the robot might be able to target lesions with sub-millimeter accuracy within reasonable time for the MRI-guided breast biopsy procedure.

Breast cancer is the most frequently life-threatening diagnosed type of cancer among women. Early and accurate diagnosis by acquiring a tissue sample using biopsy techniques is essential. However, small lesions only visible by MRI are often missed in standard methods, indicating the need for a robotic-assisted biopsy system that is MRI-compatible. Existing proof-of-concepts are difficult to employ due to large sizes and/or actuation complexities. Therefore, a compact pneumatically-actuated 5 DOF MRI-compatible robot was further developed and controlled by a computerized valve manifold. Accuracy and efficiency measurements have been performed using two different PVC breast phantoms with embedded fish oil capsules (mimicking lesions) inside a 0.25T MRI scanner. Preliminary results show that the end-effector was able to hit the targeted capsules, and that the position accuracy is in the range of 4.7-7.3 mm. The developed robotic system has potential to perform MRI-guided breast biopsies accurately and improve the clinical workflow.

Item does not contain fulltext OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate two MR-guided biopsy techniques at 3 T, large core needle breast biopsy (LCNB) and vacuum-assisted breast biopsy (VAB) and to compare the diagnostic yield and rate of complications to determine the optimal biopsy technique at 3 T. METHODS: 55 LCNB and 64 VAB were consecutively performed. Benign biopsy results were verified by retrospective correlation of histology, with pre-interventional, post-interventional MRI studies and follow-up and were classified as representative or non-representative. Time to follow-up was up to 2 years for the considered non-representative benign lesions. Statistical analysis was performed using the Chi-squared test. RESULTS: LCNB was technically successful in 100% of patients (55/55) and VAB in 98% of patients (63/64). Histopathological analysis resulted in 45 (82%) benign, 3 (5%) high-risk and 7 (13%) malignant lesions for LCNB and 43 (67%) benign, 3 (5%) high-risk and 18 (28%) malignant lesions. Distribution was significantly different (p < 0.001), favouring VAB over LCNB. CONCLUSION: Because of the substantially higher diagnostic yield and certainty of a benign diagnosis, VAB is the optimal biopsy technique at 3 T. LCNB should be considered when VAB is not feasible. 01 februari 2012

Item does not contain fulltext OBJECTIVE: The increasing importance of breast MRI in the diagnostic processes concerning breast cancer yield often lesions that are visible on MRI only. To assess the nature of these lesions, pathologic analysis is necessary. Therefore, MR-guided biopsy should be available. Breast MRI at 3T has shown advantage over 1.5T. Unfortunately, current equipment for MR-guided biopsy is better suited for intervention at 1.5T due to the danger of heating titanium co-axial sleeves and large susceptibility artifacts. We evaluated a dedicated 3T breast biopsy set that uses plastic coaxial needles to overcome these problems. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed MRI-guided breast biopsy in 23 women with 24 MRI-only visible breast lesions at 3T. Biopsy procedures were performed with plastic coaxial needles in a closed bore 3T clinical MR system on a dedicated phased array breast coil with a commercially available add-on stereotactic biopsy device. RESULTS: Width of the needle artifact was 2mm in all 24 cases. Biopsy procedure was completed between 35 and 67 min. The procedure was judged moderately easy in 12 and normal in 10 cases. One procedure was judged difficult and there was one technical failure. CONCLUSION: MRI-guided breast biopsy at 3T is a fast and accurate procedure. The plastic coaxial needles reduce the susceptibility artifact largely and do not increase the difficulty of the procedure. The diagnostic yield is at least equal to the diagnostic yield of the same procedure at 1.5T. Therefore, this technique can be safely used for lesions only visible at 3T MRI.

Contains fulltext : 88991.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) PURPOSE: To evaluate the additional value of the color coding of dynamic data using the 3TP method in the evaluation of contrast-enhanced breast MRI for readers with different levels of experience. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 52 lesions were included in this study, 25 malignant and 27 benign. All lesions were evaluated by four readers on two different workstations for the evaluation of dynamic breast MRI; one displaying the subtracted images and relative enhancement versus time curves and one displaying the subtracted images together with the 3TP color coding projected onto pre-contrast T1 images. Readers with different levels of experience were used. The diagnostic performance of both workstations was evaluated using ROC curve analyses. Interobserver variations were evaluated using kappa statistics. RESULTS: All lesions were detected by all four readers on both workstations. The diagnostic performance found in the inexperienced readers improved significantly when using the 3TP evaluations (p=0.04 and p=0.03). No significant difference was found for the more experienced readers (p=0.94 and p=0.54). The level of agreement between the readers improved significantly when using the 3TP evaluation method (p=0.01). CONCLUSION: Even though the 3TP color coding did not improve the diagnostic performance of the more experienced readers, this study clearly shows its value for inexperienced readers. The use of 3TP color coding is therefore recommended for inexperienced readers. 01 juni 2010

Contains fulltext : 71036.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) The value of pharmacokinetic parameters derived from fast dynamic imaging during initial enhancement in characterizing breast lesions on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was evaluated. Sixty-eight malignant and 34 benign lesions were included. In the scanning protocol, high temporal resolution imaging was combined with high spatial resolution imaging. The high temporal resolution images were recorded every 4.1 s during initial enhancement (fast dynamic analysis). The high spatial resolution images were recorded at a temporal resolution of 86 s (slow dynamic analysis). In the fast dynamic evaluation pharmacokinetic parameters (K(trans), V(e) and k(ep)) were evaluated. In the slow dynamic analysis, each lesion was scored according to the BI-RADS classification. Two readers evaluated all data prospectively. ROC and multivariate analysis were performed. The slow dynamic analysis resulted in an AUC of 0.85 and 0.83, respectively. The fast dynamic analysis resulted in an AUC of 0.83 in both readers. The combination of both the slow and fast dynamic analyses resulted in a significant improvement of diagnostic performance with an AUC of 0.93 and 0.90 (P = 0.02). The increased diagnostic performance found when combining both methods demonstrates the additional value of our method in further improving the diagnostic performance of breast MRI.

Contains fulltext : 69016.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) The appearance of malignant lesions in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers (BRCA-MCs) on mammography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was evaluated. Thus, 29 BRCA-MCs with breast cancer were retrospectively evaluated and the results compared with an age, tumor size and tumor type matched control group of 29 sporadic breast cancer cases. Detection rates on both modalities were evaluated. Tumors were analyzed on morphology, density (mammography), enhancement pattern and kinetics (MRI). Overall detection was significantly better with MRI than with mammography (55/58 vs 44/57, P=0.021). On mammography, lesions in the BRCA-MC group were significantly more described as rounded (12//19 vs 3/13, P=0.036) and with sharp margins (9/19 vs 1/13, P=0.024). On MRI lesions in the BRCA-MC group were significantly more described as rounded (16/27 vs 7/28, P=0.010), with sharp margins (20/27 vs 7/28, P

Contains fulltext : 52499.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) PURPOSE: To evaluate a new method for automated determination of a region of interest (ROI) for the analysis of contrast enhancement in breast MRI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mean shift multidimensional clustering (MS-MDC) was employed to divide 92 lesions into several spatially contiguous clusters each, based on multiple enhancement parameters. The ROIs were defined as the clusters with the highest probability of malignancy. The performance of enhancement analysis within these ROIs was estimated using the area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC), and compared against a radiologist's final assessment and a classifier using histogram analysis (HA). For HA, the first, second, and third quartiles were evaluated. RESULTS: MS-MDC resulted in AUC = 0.88 with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 0.81-0.95. The AUC for the radiologist's assessment was 0.93 (95%CI = 0.87-0.97). Best HA performance was found using the first quartile, with AUC = 0.79 (95%CI = 0.69-0.88). There was no significant difference between MS-MDC and the radiologist (P = 0.40). The improvement of MS-MDC over HA was significant (P = 0.018). CONCLUSION: Mean shift clustering followed by automated selection of the most suspicious cluster resulted in accurate ROIs in breast MRI lesions.

Contains fulltext : 49838.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) PURPOSE: To prospectively determine the accuracies of T2-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, dynamic contrast material-enhanced MR imaging, and quantitative three-dimensional (3D) proton MR spectroscopic imaging of the entire prostate for prostate cancer localization, with whole-mount histopathologic section findings as the reference standard. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was approved by the institutional review board, and informed consent was obtained from all patients. Thirty-four consecutive men with a mean age of 60 years and a mean prostate-specific antigen level of 8 ng/mL were examined. The median biopsy Gleason score was 6. T2-weighted MR imaging, dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging, and 3D MR spectroscopic imaging were performed, and on the basis of the image data, two readers with different levels of experience recorded the location of the suspicious peripheral zone and central gland tumor nodules on each of 14 standardized regions of interest (ROIs) in the prostate. The degree of diagnostic confidence for each ROI was recorded on a five-point scale. Localization accuracy and ROI-based receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were calculated. RESULTS: For both readers, areas under the ROC curve for T2-weighted MR, dynamic contrast-enhanced MR, and 3D MR spectroscopic imaging were 0.68, 0.91, and 0.80, respectively. Reader accuracy in tumor localization with dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging was significantly better than that with quantitative spectroscopic imaging (P < .01). Reader accuracy in tumor localization with both dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging and spectroscopic imaging was significantly better than that with T2-weighted imaging (P < .01). CONCLUSION: Compared with use of T2-weighted MR imaging, use of dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging and 3D MR spectroscopic imaging facilitated significantly improved accuracy in prostate cancer localization.

Contains fulltext : 48744.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of a new commercially available open breast coil and compatible intervention device (Machnet) for magnetic resonance image (MRI)-guided breast interventions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Breast lesions detected on MRI were evaluated using MRI-guided core biopsy (n = 20) and/or preoperative wire localization (n = 23) on histologic outcome and accuracy of localization. Time needed to perform a procedure and occurring problems were recorded. RESULTS: Mean lesion size was

Contains fulltext : 97748.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) PURPOSE: To compare enhancement characteristics between invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) and invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) on contrast enhanced MRI of the breast and to observe the magnitude of eventual differences as these may impair the diagnostic value of breast MRI in ILC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed an analysis of enhancement characteristics on biphasic breast MRI in a series of 136 patients (103 IDC, 33 ILC) using an in-house developed application for pharmacokinetic modeling of contrast enhancement and a commercially available CAD application that evaluated the contrast-enhancement versus time curve. RESULTS: Pharmacokinetic analysis showed that the most enhancing voxels in IDC had significantly higher K(trans) -values than in ILC (P < 0.01). No difference in v(e) -values was noted between groups. Visual assessment of contrast-enhancement versus time curves revealed wash-out curves to be less common in ILC (48% versus 84%). However, when using the CAD-application to assess the most malignant looking curve, the difference was blotted out (76% versus 86%). CONCLUSION: ILC enhances slower than IDC but peak enhancement is not significantly less. The use of a CAD-application may help to determine the most malignant looking contrast-enhancement versus time curve, and hence facilitates lesion classification. 01 augustus 2011

Contains fulltext : 50642.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) With the increasing use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the physician is more frequently confronted with nonpalpable breast lesions that are only visible on MRI. In these cases, it is often difficult to obtain adequate material for pathological examination. One of the methods that may be performed is excisional biopsy after MRI-guided wire localization. This study intends to examine the feasibility and added benefit of this method. It appears to be a reliable and useful tool that is, therefore, of additional benefit to surgical practice.