A study conducted at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, which focuses on non-mass enhancing breast lesions has observed that proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H MRS) used in combination with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) helps radiologists in diagnosing breast cancer while eliminating the chances of false-positive results. It also ensures ruling out the need to perform invasive biopsy.
“All of the cancers present in this study were identified with MR spectroscopy,” said the study’s lead author, Lia Bartella, M.D., director of breast imaging at Eastside Diagnostic Imaging in New York City.
The American Cancer Society estimates that 212,920 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States this year. MRI is playing an increasingly important role in the screening of women at high risk for breast cancer. However, while MRI depicts more abnormal findings than other breast screening procedures, it is not 100 percent accurate in distinguishing benign from malignant lesions, resulting in a large number of breast biopsy procedures recommended on the basis of imaging findings. Currently, approximately 80 percent of breast lesions biopsied are found to be benign.
Non-mass enhancing lesions are characterized by enhancement of an area that is not a mass or lump and may extend over large or small regions. Non-mass lesions occur with benign hormonal changes, but can also signify malignancy. Biopsy is often required to distinguish benign non-mass lesions from cancer.