Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), an MRI technique that calculates the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC)—a measure of how water moves through tissue is being touted as a promising tool for distinguishing between benign and malignant breast lesions. Water diffusion measurements with MRI could decrease false-positive breast cancer results and reduce preventable biopsies, according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology.
Researchers said the technique also could improve patient management by differentiating high-risk lesions requiring additional workup from other non-malignant subtypes. The science behind DWI is that normal breast tissue has a high ADC because water moves through it relatively freely, while most cancers have a lower ADC because their cells are more tightly packed and restrict water motion. However, significant overlap exists between the ADC values of non-malignant lesions and breast malignancies, and little is known about the ADC values of specific subtypes of non-malignant lesions.
“DWI only adds a couple of minutes to the MRI exam and does not require additional contrast or any extra hardware,” said Dr Savannah C Partridge, research associate professor at the University of Washington, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. The research team is planning a multi-centre trial to validate the findings and determine how to best to incorporate ADC measures into clinical breast MRI interpretations.
EH News Bureau
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