Accuracy of abbreviated magnetic resonance compared to 3-dimensional mammography and ultrasound in early detection of breast cancer.

Background: The purpose of this study is to assess the usefulness of the novel abbreviated MR (AB-MR) protocol in the screening of women with an intermediate risk of breast cancer. Sixty women with a Tyrer-Cuzick model-determined intermediate risk of breast cancer underwent AB-MR, mammography, and tomosynthesis examinations; as an auxiliary procedure, ultrasound imaging was carried out. Every modality was allocated a final BI-RADS category. Time spent on acquisition and interpretation was also noted. Pathological confirmation was obtained in all cases exhibiting malignant findings. The difference in sensitivity and specificity between the two modalities was evaluated using McNemar's test.

Results: When compared to traditional screening methods, AB-MR demonstrated 100% NPV, 98% specificity, 66.7% PPV, and 100% sensitivity in women with intermediate risk of breast cancer. Comparing mammography/ultrasound to positive malignancies verified by biopsy, the results indicated 100% sensitivity, 96.5% specificity, 60% PPV, and 100% NPV. Complete agreement was observed between abbreviated MR and malignant biopsies (100% sensitivity, specificity, NPV, and PPV). For AB-MR and mammography, the average reading time was 4 min and 5 min, respectively. The average acquisition time for AB-MRI was around 10 min, whereas the average time for complete MR imaging is 17 min.

Conclusion: AB-MR has better sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV in screening of intermediate- and high-risk breast cancer. Acquisition time was shorter than full MR protocol. Reading time was decreased in respect of mammography. MRI screening ought to be more practical with the AB-MR protocol.