Evaluation of breast cancer using magnetic resonance imaging with diffusion sequence

Abstract #4026 The diffusion is a physical property that describes the microscopic random movement of molecules in response to termal energy. The diffusion may be affect by biophysical properties of tissues: cellular density, tumor structure (necrosis, edema), and microcirculation. We have made a quantitative analysis of the images of diffusion, calculating the coefficient of apparent diffusion (ADC) that reflects the capacity of specific diffusion of the tissue. The ADC is an objective parameter that can be used to characterize the tissues. It measures the displacement in unit of time (mm2/sec). In malignant tumors the barriers to the diffusion are increased (high hypercellularity) and therefore, the diffusion is restricted, which is translated as low values of ADC. We present 30 cases of infiltrating breast carcinoma, studied by sequence of diffusion SE EPI (TR 6500 msec; TE 85 msec; Matrix 128 x 80, NEX 6, Thickness 7 mm, GAP 3 mm, Value b 600 mm2/sec. AXIAL 38 courts 2 min 37 sec). In malignant tumors the ADC is minor of 1,1 x 10-3 and is lower than that of benign injuries and normal tissue fibroglandular. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) are: • Cancer: 1,03 ± 0,23 x 103 mm2/sec. • Fibroadenoma: 1,74 ± 0,16 x 103 mm2/sec. • Cyst: 2,17 ± 0,25 x 103 mm2/sec. • Fibroglandular tissue: 1,83 ± 0,25 x 103 mm2/sec. Also we present 10 patients in whom we have used the ADC in the follow-up of the chemotherapy treatment. We have confirmed that the early increase of the ADC shows correlation with good response. We attach the example of a patient. Breast MR difussion: evaluation of chemotherapy response. Good evolution: rapid increse of ADC. In the scientific meeting we will present the results. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(2 Suppl):Abstract nr 4026.