MRI breast: Current imaging trends, clinical applications, and future research directions
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2022
Abstract
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is the most sensitive and advanced imaging technique in diagnosing breast cancer and is essential in improving cancer detection, lesion characterization, and determining therapy response. In addition to the dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) technique, functional techniques such as magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI), and intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) further characterize and differentiate benign and malignant lesions thus, improving diagnostic accuracy. There is now an increasing clinical usage of MRI breast, including screening in high risk and supplementary screening tools in average-risk patients. MRI is becoming imperative in assisting breast surgeons in planning breast-conserving surgery for preoperative local staging and evaluation of neoadjuvant chemotherapy response. Other clinical applications for MRI breast include occult breast cancer detection, investigation of nipple discharge, and breast implant assessment. There is now an abundance of research publications on MRI Breast with several areas that still remain to be explored. This review gives a comprehensive overview of the clinical trends of MRI breast with emphasis on imaging features and interpretation using conventional and advanced techniques. In addition, future research areas in MRI breast include developing techniques to make MRI more accessible and cost-effective for screening. The abbreviated MRI breast procedure and an area of focused research in the enhancement of radiologists' work with artificial intelligence have high impact for the future in MRI Breast.
Keywords
Magnetic resonance imaging, Breast, Neoplasms, Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging, Diffusion tensor imaging, Magnetic resonance spectroscopy
Divisions
fac_med
Funders
Malaysian Ministry of Education [FRGS/1/2019/SKK03/UM/01/1],Dana Clinical Excellence Grant (DCEG) University Teknologi MARA [600-HUiTM 5/1/DCEG(03/2021)]
Publication Title
Current Medical Imaging
Volume
18
Issue
13
Publisher
Bentham Science Publishers
Publisher Location
EXECUTIVE STE Y-2, PO BOX 7917, SAIF ZONE, 1200 BR SHARJAH, U ARAB EMIRATES