3D MRI technique could decrease breast biopsies for high-risk patients

A 3D breast MRI imaging technique developed at the University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison could reduce biopsies for patients at high risk of developing breast cancer.

According to the researchers, the technology will give radiologists greater confidence in visually classifying a lesion as malignant or benign.

"Many of these lesions turn out to be difficult to classify and lead to biopsy," said Wally Block, PhD, a UW-Madison professor of biomedical engineering and medical physics.

However, the researchers said that with the right kind of MRI scan, radiologists can visually identify a cancerous lesion based on characteristics about its shape. For example, breaks or interruptions in a lesion can indicate a benign fibroadenoma.

To generate crisp, 3D images for diagnosis, Block, UW-Madison radiology associate professor Fred Kelcz, MD, PhD, and graduate student Catherine Moran are working with a new MRI data-acquisition method.

The conventional data-acquisition method gathers information slowly, and is designed to be viewed from a single imaging plane.

"What people do now is they compromise," Block said. "They don't get resolution in the other planes to make it a reasonable scan time."

With the new technique, an MRI machine acquires data radially and generates a high-resolution, 3D image that radiologists can turn, slice and view from many perspectives--enabling them to study a lesion's physical characteristics more carefully. Magnets equipped with the technology are also able to acquire more data in less time, according to the team.

The method also makes it possible for radiologists to view fat images and water images separately, which is particularly useful because fat composes a large portion of the breast.

"Most of the time radiologists are concentrating on water images, but sometimes fat images of the breast are also useful. The boundaries of a lesion often stand out very clearly when embedded in fat," Block said.

The team is currently gathering data on the efficacy of the technique. They have tested the method on 20 patients at the UW Hospital in Madison, and have shared it with colleagues at the University of Toronto for additional assessment. They also are working with researchers at Michigan State University in East Lansing.

Collaborating with Scott Reeder, MD, PhD, a UW-Madison assistant professor of biomedical engineering and radiology, Block and colleagues also are refining ways to image both breasts simultaneously--a development that could reduce scan time and free valuable MRI space for additional patients.

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