Abbreviated breast MRI

Abstract

Breast MRI demonstrates high sensitivity for breast cancer detection, beyond that of mammography and ultrasound. Numerous factors limit the widespread application of MRI as a screening modality for all women, including time-consuming protocols which may occupy the MRI system for 30-60 min, and which are costly, difficult for patients and limit clinical accessibility. Recently researchers have questioned which MR sequences are truly necessary in the screening setting to achieve the desired sensitivity of a screening examination. The definition of an abbreviated MR protocol varies from study to study and research is ongoing to optimize such a protocol. Possibilities include limiting the exam to one post-contrast sequence, utilizing T2-weighted or diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) or employing time-resolved angiography with stochastic trajectories (TWIST) sequences. Decreased image acquisition and reading time in the screening MRI setting could potentially decrease cost and increase women's access to screening breast MRI without sacrificing diagnostic accuracy and cancer yield.