Feasibility of supine MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)-navigated ultrasound in breast cancer patients

Abstract

Summary: Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of image fusion between US and supine MRI in breast cancer patients, and to evaluate differences in tumor location between prone and supine positions. Methods: This prospective study included 88 patients who underwent an additional supine MRI (MRsup) sequence following routine prone MRI (MRpro) for breast cancer between May 2016 and December 2017. The location of the tumor and discrepancies in the distances from nipple to lesion (NLD), skin to lesion (SLD), and chest wall to lesion (CLD) were evaluated between MRpro and MRsup (MRpro-sup), MRpro and MRsup-navigated US (MRpro-USnav), and MRsup and USnav (MRsup-USnav). Associations between breast thickness and measurement discrepancies were analyzed. Results: Total 91 index lesions were evaluated. The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for the location of MRpro and MRsup compared with USnav were 0.994 (range: 0.990–0.996) and 0.998 (range: 0.996–0.999), respectively. The mean MRpro-sup and MRpro-USnav measurement discrepancies were greater than those of MRsup-USnav, significantly. Most outer locations showed greater mean measurement discrepancies than inner locations, and each NLD, SLD, and CLD mean measurement discrepancy showed different tendencies according to location (upper or lower) and lesion depth (superficial, middle, or deep). High breast thickness showed significantly greater mean measurement discrepancies than low breast thickness. Conclusion: Image fusion between US and supine MRI is feasible in breast cancer patients, although there is a considerable difference in tumor location measurements between prone and supine positions, especially with thicker breasts.

Keywords

• Breast cancer
• Magnetic resonance imaging
• Supine position
• Ultrasonography