Values of magnetic resonance imaging apparent diffusion coefficient for prognostic evaluation and pathological typing of patients with breast cancer

We aimed to explore the values of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) for the prognostic evaluation and pathological typing of breast cancer. A total of 136 patients diagnosed as breast cancer were retrospectively collected as an experimental group, and divided into a non-recurrence group (n = 104) and a recurrence group (n = 32) according to the 5-year follow-up results. Another 136 patients pathologically diagnosed as non-malignant tumors after operation in the same period were selected as a control group. The diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) signal intensity distributions and mean ADC values of different pathological types of breast cancer with various b values were compared. The predictive value of ADC for pathological type was analyzed using receiver operator characteristic curve. The independent risk factors for postoperative recurrence were determined through Cox analysis. When the b values were 1000 s/mm2 and 2000 s/mm2, the mean ADC values of invasive carcinomas (invasive ductal carcinoma, invasive lobular carcinoma) were significantly lower than those of non-invasive carcinomas (lobular carcinoma in situ, intraductal carcinoma in situ). The ADC value was an independent risk factor for postoperative recurrence. Based on the optimal cut-off value (1.046 × 10−3 mm2/s) of ADC for predicting postoperative recurrence, the 5-year recurrence risk of the high-risk group was significantly higher than that of the low-risk group (p < 0.05). DWI has clinical significance for assessing benign/malignant breast cancer. High-signal images are dominant in DWI of patients with breast cancer.

Magnetic resonance imaging; Apparent diffusion coefficient; Breast cancer; Prognosis

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