Purpose: To explore the correlation of morphological and kinetic DCE-MRI features with histopathological prognostic factors of invasive breast cancer.
Material and methods: Fifty-one women with 57 cancerous lesions underwent DCE-MRI prior to
surgery. DCE-MRI findings were interpreted with a multifactorial classification system that
included morphological (shape, margins and pattern of enhancement) and kinetic characteristics
(initial signal increase and post-initial behaviour of the time-signal intensity curve). Each
morphological and kinetic parameter was scored with 0, 1 or 2 points and the total score was
estimated. Finally each lesion was classified into one of the five categories that correspond to
the five ACR BI-RADS categories. Statistical analysis was performed to correlate DCE-MR
imaging parameters and histopathological findings using Fisher’s exact test and stepwise
multiple regression analysis.
Results: Increase of the signal intensity at the initial phase >100% was strongly correlated with
positive lymph nodes (pZ0.008, OR 0.054). Types I and II time-signal intensity curves at the
post-initial phase were associated with a fourfold increase in the likelihood of progesterone
receptors positivity (pZ0.022, OR 4). Finally, high total score was positively correlated with
affected lymph nodes (pZ0.033, OR 0.29).