What does risk of future cancer mean to breast cancer patients?

PURPOSE: Newly diagnosed breast cancer patients greatly overestimate their risk of developing contralateral breast cancer (CBC). Better understanding of patient conceptions of risk would facilitate doctor-patient communication and surgical decision making. In this mixed methods study, we prospectively examined breast cancer patients' perceived risk of future cancer and the reported factors that drove their risk perceptions. METHODS: Women age 21-60 diagnosed with breast cancer without a BRCA mutation or known distant metastases completed a study interview between surgical consult and surgical treatment. Participants completed a 12-item Perceived Risk Questionnaire, which assessed 10-year and lifetime risks of ipsilateral local recurrence, CBC, and distant recurrence. Patients provided qualitative explanations for their answers. RESULTS: Sixty-three patients completed study interviews (mean age 50.3). Participants were primarily White (85.7%) and 90.5% had attended college. Patients estimated their 10-year risk of CBC as 22.0%, nearly 4 times the established 10-year risk. Women attributed their risk perceptions to "gut feelings" about future cancer, even when women knew those feelings contradicted medically established risk. Perceptions of risk also reflected beliefs that cancer is random and that risk for local recurrence, CBC, and distant recurrence are the same. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings point to the need for novel ways of presenting factual information regarding both risk of recurrence and of new primary cancers, as well as the necessity of acknowledging cognitive and affective processes many patients use when conceptualizing risk. By differentiating women's intuitive feelings about risk from their knowledge of medically estimated risk, doctors can enhance informed decision making.

Assessment of hospital-level adjusted breast cancer sentinel lymph node positivity rates.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Proficiency of performing sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) for breast cancer varies among hospitals and may be reflected in the hospital's SLNB positivity rate. Our objectives were to examine whether hospital characteristics are associated with variation in SLNB positivity rates and whether hospitals with lower-than-expected SLNB positivity rates have worse patient survival. METHODS: Using the National Cancer Data Base, stage I to III breast cancer patients were identified (2004-2012). Hospital-level SLNB positivity rates were adjusted for tumor and patient factors. Hospitals were divided into terciles of SLNB positivity rates (lower-, higher-, as-expected). Hospital characteristics and survival were examined across terciles. RESULTS: Of 438 610 SLNB patients (from 1357 hospitals), 78 104 had one or more positive SLN (21.3%). Hospitals in the low and high terciles were more likely to be low volume (low: RRR, 4.40; 95% CI, 2.89-6.57; P < 0.001; and high: RRR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.21-2.64; P < 0.001) compared to hospitals with as-expected (middle tercile) SLNB positivity rates. Stage I patients at low- and high-tercile hospitals had statistically worse survival. CONCLUSIONS: There is a wide variation in hospital SLNB positivity rates. Hospitals with lower- or higher-than-expected SLNB positivity rates were associated with survival differences. Hospital SLNB positivity rates may be a novel 'process measure' to report to hospitals for internal quality assessment.

Breast Cancer Screening and Diagnosis, Version 3.2018, NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology.

The NCCN Guidelines for Breast Cancer Screening and Diagnosis have been developed to facilitate clinical decision making. This manuscript discusses the diagnostic evaluation of individuals with suspected breast cancer due to either abnormal imaging and/or physical findings. For breast cancer screening recommendations, please see the full guidelines on NCCN.org.

Society of Surgical Oncology Breast Disease Working Group Statement on Prophylactic (Risk-Reducing) Mastectomy.

Over the past several years, there has been an increasing rate of bilateral prophylactic mastectomy (BPM) and contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) surgeries. Since publication of the 2007 SSO position statement on the use of risk-reducing mastectomy, there have been significant advances in the understanding of breast cancer biology and treatment. The purpose of this manuscript is to review the current literature as a resource to facilitate a shared and informed decision-making process regarding the use of risk-reducing mastectomy.

Effect of Axillary Dissection vs No Axillary Dissection on 10-Year Overall Survival Among Women With Invasive Breast Cancer and Sentinel Node Metastasis: The ACOSOG Z0011 (Alliance) Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: The results of the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group Z0011 (ACOSOG Z0011) trial were first reported in 2005 with a median follow-up of 6.3 years. Longer follow-up was necessary because the majority of the patients had estrogen receptor-positive tumors that may recur later in the disease course (the ACOSOG is now part of the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology). Objective: To determine whether the 10-year overall survival of patients with sentinel lymph node metastases treated with breast-conserving therapy and sentinel lymph node dissection (SLND) alone without axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) is noninferior to that of women treated with axillary dissection. Design, Setting, and Participants: The ACOSOG Z0011 phase 3 randomized clinical trial enrolled patients from May 1999 to December 2004 at 115 sites (both academic and community medical centers). The last date of follow-up was September 29, 2015, in the ACOSOG Z0011 (Alliance) trial. Eligible patients were women with clinical T1 or T2 invasive breast cancer, no palpable axillary adenopathy, and 1 or 2 sentinel lymph nodes containing metastases. Interventions: All patients had planned lumpectomy, planned tangential whole-breast irradiation, and adjuvant systemic therapy. Third-field radiation was prohibited. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was overall survival with a noninferiority hazard ratio (HR) margin of 1.3. The secondary outcome was disease-free survival. Results: Among 891 women who were randomized (median age, 55 years), 856 (96%) completed the trial (446 in the SLND alone group and 445 in the ALND group). At a median follow-up of 9.3 years (interquartile range, 6.93-10.34 years), the 10-year overall survival was 86.3% in the SLND alone group and 83.6% in the ALND group (HR, 0.85 [1-sided 95% CI, 0-1.16]; noninferiority P = .02). The 10-year disease-free survival was 80.2% in the SLND alone group and 78.2% in the ALND group (HR, 0.85 [95% CI, 0.62-1.17]; P = .32). Between year 5 and year 10, 1 regional recurrence was seen in the SLND alone group vs none in the ALND group. Ten-year regional recurrence did not differ significantly between the 2 groups. Conclusions and Relevance: Among women with T1 or T2 invasive primary breast cancer, no palpable axillary adenopathy, and 1 or 2 sentinel lymph nodes containing metastases, 10-year overall survival for patients treated with sentinel lymph node dissection alone was noninferior to overall survival for those treated with axillary lymph node dissection. These findings do not support routine use of axillary lymph node dissection in this patient population based on 10-year outcomes. Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00003855.

National Evaluation of the New Commission on Cancer Quality Measure for Postmastectomy Radiation Treatment for Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Current guidelines recommend postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) for patients with ≥4 positive lymph nodes and suggest strong consideration of PMRT in those with 1-3 positive nodes. These recommendations were incorporated into a Commission on Cancer quality measure in 2014. However, national adherence with these recommendations is unknown. Our objectives were to describe PMRT use in the United States in patients with stage I to III invasive breast cancer and to examine possible factors associated with the omission of PMRT. METHODS: From the National Cancer Data Base, 753,536 mastectomies at 1123 hospitals were identified from 1998 to 2011. PMRT use over time was examined using random effects logistic regression analyses, adjusting for patient, tumor, and hospital characteristics. Analyses were stratified by nodal status (≥4 nodes positive, 1-3 nodes positive, node negative). RESULTS: The proportion of patients receiving PMRT increased from 1998 to 2011 (>4 positive nodes: 56.2 to 66.6 %; 1-3 positive nodes: 28.0 to 39.1 %; node-negative: 8.3 to 10.0 %, p < 0.001 for all). In adjusted analyses, patients with ≥4 positive nodes were more likely to have PMRT omitted if they had smaller tumors. Patients with 1-3 positive nodes were more likely to have PMRT omitted if they had lower grade or smaller tumors. Irrespective of patients' nodal status, PMRT utilization rates decreased as age increased. CONCLUSIONS: Though PMRT rates increased over time in patients with ≥4 and 1-3 positive nodes, PMRT in patients with ≥4 positive nodes remains underutilized. Feedback to hospitals using the new Commission on Cancer PMRT measure may help to improve adherence rates.

Impact of Postoperative Antibiotic Prophylaxis Duration on Surgical Site Infections in Autologous Breast Reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: Although some surgeons prescribe prolonged postoperative antibiotics after autologous breast reconstruction, evidence is lacking to support this practice. We used the Tracking Operations and Outcomes for Plastic Surgeons database to evaluate the association between postoperative antibiotic duration and the rate of surgical site infection (SSI) in autologous breast reconstruction. STUDY DESIGN: The intervention of interest for this study was postoperative duration of antibiotic prophylaxis: either discontinued 24 hours after surgery or continued beyond 24 hours. The primary outcome variable of interest for this study was the presence of SSI within 30 days of autologous breast reconstruction. Cohort characteristics and 30-day outcomes were compared using χ² and Fischer exact tests for categorical variables and Student t tests for continuous variables. Multivariate logistic regression was used to control for confounders. RESULTS: A total of 1036 patients met inclusion criteria for our study. Six hundred fifty-nine patients (63.6%) received antibiotics for 24 hours postoperatively, and 377 patients (36.4%) received antibiotics for greater than 24 hours. The rate of SSI did not differ significantly between patients given antibiotics for only 24 hours and those continued on antibiotics beyond the 24-hour postoperative time period (5.01% vs 2.92%, P = 0.109). Furthermore, antibiotic duration was not predictive of SSI in multivariate regression modeling. CONCLUSIONS: We did not find a statistically significant difference in the rate of SSI in patients who received 24 hours of postoperative antibiotics compared to those that received antibiotics for greater than 24 hours. These findings held for both purely autologous reconstruction as well as latissimus dorsi reconstruction in conjunction with an implant. Thus, our study does not support continuation of postoperative antibiotics beyond 24 hours after autologous breast reconstruction.

Differential impact of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus on breast reconstruction outcomes.

While the comparative safety of breast reconstruction in diabetic patients has been previously studied, we examine the differential effects of insulin and non-insulin-dependence on surgical/medical outcomes. Patients undergoing implant/expander or autologous breast reconstruction were extracted from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program 2005-2012 database. Preoperative and postoperative variables were analyzed using chi-square and Student's t test as appropriate. Multivariate regression modeling was used to evaluate whether non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is independently associated with adverse 30-day events following breast reconstruction. Of 29,736 patients meeting inclusion criteria, 23,042 (77.5 %) underwent implant/expander reconstructions, of which 815 had NIDDM and 283 had IDDM. Of the 6,694 (22.5 %) patients who underwent autologous reconstructions, 286 had NIDDM and 94 had IDDM. Rates of overall and surgical complications significantly differed among non-diabetic, NIDDM and IDDM patients in both the implant/expander and autologous cohorts on univariate analysis. After multivariate analysis, NIDDM was significantly associated with surgical complications (OR 1.511); IDDM was significantly associated with medical (OR 1.815) and overall complications (OR 1.852); and any type of diabetes was significantly associated with surgical (OR 1.58) and overall (OR 1.361) complications after autologous reconstruction. Diabetes of any type was not associated with any type of complication after implant/expander reconstruction. In this large, multi-institutional study, diabetes mellitus was significantly associated with adverse outcomes after autologous, but not implant-based breast reconstruction. The multivariate analysis in this study adds granularity to the differential effects of NIDDM and IDDM on complication risk.

Tumescent technique does not increase the risk of complication following mastectomy with immediate reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: Despite the growing interest in the advantages of tumescent mastectomy technique, there remain concerns that tumescent solution may increase postoperative complication rates. This study evaluates patient outcomes following tumescent mastectomy in the setting of immediate prosthetic reconstruction. METHODS: Retrospective review of 1,491 breasts (1,030 patients) treated by 4 oncologic and 2 reconstructive surgeons between 2004 and 2012 at a single institution. The primary outcomes of interest included seroma, hematoma, infection, and mastectomy flap necrosis, as well as conversion to autologous reconstruction. Multiple logistic regression was used to determine the adjusted influence of tumescence on outcomes. RESULTS: The tumescent cohort (n = 890 breasts) was younger and experienced lower rates of preoperative radiation than the nontumescent cohort (n = 601 breasts). Mean follow-up was 21.2 months. While tumescent procedures were on average 20 min faster, postoperative complication rates did not significantly differ between cohorts. Regression analysis controlling for potential confounders, including differences in surgeon technique, failed to identify tumescent mastectomy as an independent risk factor for complication [odds ratio (OR) = 1.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.8-1.8, p = 0.385]. Individually, neither seroma, hematoma, infection, nor flap necrosis was affected significantly by the use of tumescence (OR = 1.66, 95% CI = 0.73-3.78, p = 0.229; OR = 1.11, 95% CI = 0.42-2.95, p = 0.837; OR = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.4-1.75, p = 0.689; OR = 1.19, 95% CI = 0.7-2.03, p = 0.67, respectively). DISCUSSION: This longitudinal study is well equipped to assess the influence of tumescent mastectomy technique in the hands of experienced and high-volume oncologic surgeons on postoperative outcomes. Our analysis suggests that in the setting of an immediate prosthetic reconstruction, tumescent mastectomy does not independently affect postoperative complication rates.

Commentary on the Canadian National Breast Screening study.

In the setting of the 25-year follow-up of the Canadian National Breast Screening Study, the Society of Surgical Oncology continues to endorse mammographic screening for women beginning at 40 years of age, while acknowledging that mammography has both risks and benefits. Further investigation is warranted to develop better screening methods and to determine optimal screening schedules for women based on their risk of future breast cancer and their imaging characteristics.

Quality improvement project: opportunities for improvement.

The management of patients with breast cancer has become very complex, and a multidisciplinary approach is paramount to optimal treatment. A multidisciplinary approach requires timely coordination among the varied disciplines involved in patient care, and timely intervention has been shown to lead to better outcomes. To evaluate some of the key processes in providing timely multidisciplinary care, NCCN awarded grants to institutions to evaluate opportunities for improvement in breast cancer care. This article reports on the opportunities for improvement project at Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University.

Factors associated with the development of chronic pain after surgery for breast cancer: a prospective cohort from a tertiary center in the United States.

Chronic pain has been shown to affect up to 60% of patients undergoing surgery for breast cancer. Besides younger age, other risk factors for the development of chronic pain have not been consistent in previous studies. The objective of the current investigation was to detect the prevalence and risk factors for the development of chronic pain after breast cancer surgery by examining a patient population from a tertiary cancer center in the United States. The study was a prospective observational cohort study. Subjects were evaluated at least 6 months after the surgical procedure. Subjects responded to the modified short form Brief pain inventory and the short form McGill pain questionnaire to identify and characterize pain. Demographic, surgery, cancer treatment, and perioperative characteristics were recorded. Propensity matching regression analysis were used to examine risk factors associated with the development of chronic pain. 300 patients were included in the study. 110 reported the presence of chronic pain. Subjects with chronic pain reported median (interquartile range [IQR]) rating of worst pain in the last 24 hours of 4 (2-5) and a median (IQR) rating on average pain in the last 24 hours of 3 (1-4) on a 0-10 numeric rating scale. Independent risk factors associated with the development of chronic pain were age, OR (95% CI) of 0.95 (0.93-0.98) and axillary lymph node dissection, 7.7 (4.3-13.9) but not radiation therapy, 1.05(0.56-1.95). After propensity matching for confounding covariates, radiation was still not associated with the development of chronic pain. Chronic pain after mastectomy continues to have a high prevalence in breast cancer patients. Younger age and axillary lymph node dissection but not radiation therapy are risk factors for the development of chronic pain. Preventive strategies to minimize the development of chronic pain are highly desirable.

Risk factors for unplanned readmissions following excisional breast surgery.

Thirty-day hospital readmission has emerged as an important variable in health care quality improvement. Our purpose was to investigate the unplanned readmission rate following excisional breast surgery and to identify risk factors associated with readmission. The 2011 National Surgical Quality Improvement Program registry was retrospectively reviewed for patients undergoing excisional breast surgery. Logistic regression was used to investigate the relationship between pre- and perioperative variables and 30-day readmission. Of 13,610 women identified, 292 (2.15%) were readmitted within the 30-day tracking period. The readmitted cohort demonstrated significantly more comorbidities and postoperative complications, as well as longer operative times and hospital stays. Postoperative complications were the best predictors for readmission; however, age, a history of bleeding disorders, immunosuppression, cardiovascular disease, and inpatient hospitalization were also significant independent predictors for readmission. Risk factors for readmission include both pre- and perioperative variables. Perioperative complications, most often infectious in nature, are the strongest predictors; however, comorbidities including immunosuppression, bleeding disorders, and cardiovascular disease also significantly increase the risk for readmission. Although readmission is relatively rare, identifying and managing high-risk patients in addition to more effective methods to prevent and manage postoperative complications will be critical to reducing readmissions and improving patient care.

Additive risk of tumescent technique in patients undergoing mastectomy with immediate reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: The potential advantages of tumescent mastectomy technique have been increasingly discussed within the literature. However, there is concern that tumescent solution may also affect postoperative complication rates. This study evaluates patient outcomes following tumescent mastectomy and immediate implant reconstruction. METHODS: Retrospective review of 897 consecutive patients (1,217 breasts) undergoing mastectomy with immediate implant reconstruction between 4/1998 and 10/2008 at a single institution was performed. Demographic and operative factors, postoperative outcomes, and overall follow-up were recorded. Complications were categorized by type and end-outcome. Fisher's exact test, Student t-test, and multiple linear regression were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Tumescent (n = 332, 457 breasts) and nontumescent (n = 565, 760 breasts) patients were clinically similar. Mean follow-up was 36.5 months. Regression analysis demonstrated that tumescent technique increased the risk of overall complications [odds ratio (OR) 1.36, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02-1.81, p = 0.04]. In particular, nonoperative and operative complications (OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.04-2.26, p = 0.04; OR 1.58, 95% CI 1.11-2.23, p = 0.01, respectively), and the rate of major mastectomy flap necrosis (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.05-2.35, p = 0.03) were significantly affected. In patients with other, more significant risk factors, tumescent technique had an additive effect on complication rates. Additionally, the majority of tumescent breast complications (78.6%, 81/103) had at least one other significant risk factor. CONCLUSIONS: Our review demonstrates that tumescent mastectomy with immediate implant reconstruction, although possessing distinct advantages, can increase postoperative complication rates. This additive effect is particularly apparent in patients with elevated complication risk at baseline. Choice of mastectomy technique should be made with careful consideration of patient comorbidities.

Multidisciplinary care for patients with breast cancer.

The care of patients with breast cancer has become increasingly complex with advancements in diagnostic modalities, surgical approaches, and adjuvant treatments. A multidisciplinary approach to breast cancer care is essential to the successful integration of available therapies. This article addresses the key components of multidisciplinary breast cancer care, with a special emphasis on new and emerging approaches over the past 10 years in the fields of diagnostics, surgery, radiation, medical oncology, and plastic surgery.

Clinical roundtable monograph: a multidisciplinary approach to the use of oncotype DX in clinical practice.

Recently, recommendations for the use of the Oncotype DX assay in estrogen receptor-positive node-negative breast cancer patients were incorporated into guidelines from both the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. The Oncotype DX assay is a diagnostic test which measures changes in a set of 21 genes in order to predict the likelihood of disease recurrence and also to predict which patients are most likely to respond to chemotherapy. Oncotype DX has been available commercially since January 2004 and has been used for more than 85,000 patients. Drs. William J. Gradishar, Nora M. Hansen, and Barbara Susnik answered questions regarding the incorporation of the Oncotype DX breast cancer assay into routine clinical practice. This expert dialog offers an update and clinical insights into when, how, and why clinicians might incorporate the Oncotype DX assay into the management of their breast cancer patients. Also, the latest research into the benefit of the Oncotype DX assay in node-positive patients is discussed. Finally, sample case studies offer clinically relevant examples of the practical application of the Oncotype DX assay.

New models and online calculator for predicting non-sentinel lymph node status in sentinel lymph node positive breast cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Current practice is to perform a completion axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) for breast cancer patients with tumor-involved sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs), although fewer than half will have non-sentinel node (NSLN) metastasis. Our goal was to develop new models to quantify the risk of NSLN metastasis in SLN-positive patients and to compare predictive capabilities to another widely used model. METHODS: We constructed three models to predict NSLN status: recursive partitioning with receiver operating characteristic curves (RP-ROC), boosted Classification and Regression Trees (CART), and multivariate logistic regression (MLR) informed by CART. Data were compiled from a multicenter Northern California and Oregon database of 784 patients who prospectively underwent SLN biopsy and completion ALND. We compared the predictive abilities of our best model and the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Breast Cancer Nomogram (Nomogram) in our dataset and an independent dataset from Northwestern University. RESULTS: 285 patients had positive SLNs, of which 213 had known angiolymphatic invasion status and 171 had complete pathologic data including hormone receptor status. 264 (93%) patients had limited SLN disease (micrometastasis, 70%, or isolated tumor cells, 23%). 101 (35%) of all SLN-positive patients had tumor-involved NSLNs. Three variables (tumor size, angiolymphatic invasion, and SLN metastasis size) predicted risk in all our models. RP-ROC and boosted CART stratified patients into four risk levels. MLR informed by CART was most accurate. Using two composite predictors calculated from three variables, MLR informed by CART was more accurate than the Nomogram computed using eight predictors. In our dataset, area under ROC curve (AUC) was 0.83/0.85 for MLR (n = 213/n = 171) and 0.77 for Nomogram (n = 171). When applied to an independent dataset (n = 77), AUC was 0.74 for our model and 0.62 for Nomogram. The composite predictors in our model were the product of angiolymphatic invasion and size of SLN metastasis, and the product of tumor size and square of SLN metastasis size. CONCLUSION: We present a new model developed from a community-based SLN database that uses only three rather than eight variables to achieve higher accuracy than the Nomogram for predicting NSLN status in two different datasets.

Hypermethylation of adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette transporter genes in primary hyperparathyroidism and its effect on sestamibi imaging.

CONTEXT: Retention of technetium-(99m)-sestamibi ((99m)Tc-sestamibi) by parathyroid adenomas appears to be due to the loss of at least one membrane transporter, multidrug resistance 1 (MDR1), and possibly another, multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 (MRP1). OBJECTIVE: The objective was to determine whether hypermethylation of either gene plays a role in their expression and (99m)Tc-sestamibi retention. DESIGN: This was a retrospective study on a convenience sample of paraffin-embedded parathyroid glands. SETTING: The study was performed at the John Wayne Cancer Institute at Saint John's Health Center (Santa Monica, CA). PATIENTS: Forty-eight patients with primary hyperparathyroidism and five patients without parathyroid disease undergoing thyroid surgery provided 27 adenomatous, 10 hyperplastic, and 16 normal parathyroid glands. INTERVENTION: We performed immunohistochemistry, real-time quantitative RT-PCR, and methylation-specific PCR for MDR1 and MRP1 on archival parathyroid tissue and correlated these results with the patient's (99m)Tc-sestamibi scan. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The main outcome measure was to determine whether hypermethylation of the genes for either transporter is associated with loss of their expression and with a positive (99m)Tc-sestamibi scan. RESULTS: The MDR1 gene was methylated in none of 12 normal glands, 19 of 27 adenomas, and three of 10 hyperplastic glands. Methylation of the MRP1 gene was uncommon (five of 48 tested glands). Methylation of the gene affected the transcript level only for MDR1. Among all glands, hypermethylation for MDR1 was more likely in (99m)Tc-sestamibi-positive scans (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In parathyroid tissue, hypermethylation of the MDR1 gene decreases its expression and is associated with increased detection of parathyroid adenomas by (99m)Tc-sestamibi parathyroid scans.

Evaluating the impact of preoperative breast magnetic resonance imaging on the surgical management of newly diagnosed breast cancers.

HYPOTHESIS: Women with newly diagnosed breast cancers may harbor additional ipsilateral or contralateral breast malignancies that are undetected by mammography and ultrasonography. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has demonstrated excellent sensitivity in the detection of breast cancers. However, the impact of routine MRI on the surgical management of new, biopsy-proven breast cancers remains unclear. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of a prospective database. SETTING: An academic, tertiary care center in a large metropolitan area. PATIENTS: A total of 155 women with breast cancer newly diagnosed by mammography, ultrasonography, and needle biopsy underwent preoperative bilateral breast MRI in a single-institution, single-surgeon setting during 1 year. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Change in surgical management based on breast MRI findings. RESULTS: The MRI demonstrated 124 additional suspicious lesions in 73 patients. Post-MRI follow-up mammograms or ultrasonograms were required in 65 patients, and 41 patients underwent additional image-guided biopsies. There was a change in surgical management as MRI discovered additional, otherwise undetected malignancies in 36 patients based on radiographic-pathologic correlation. Lumpectomy was converted to mastectomy in 10 patients (8 beneficial), wider excision was performed in 21 patients (10 beneficial), and 5 patients (2 beneficial) underwent contralateral surgery. Larger tumor size was an independent predictor of a beneficial change in surgical management (odds ratio, 1.66; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-2.66). CONCLUSIONS: Breast MRI results in a beneficial change in surgical management in 9.7% of newly diagnosed breast cancers. The detection of additional, otherwise undetected ipsilateral and contralateral breast malignancies with MRI suggests that breast MRI may have a role in the evaluation of new breast cancers.

Breast cancer: pre- and postoperative imaging for staging.

Mammography is considered the "gold standard" in the evaluation of the breast from an imaging perspective. Multiple studies have demonstrated the benefit of mammography in detecting smaller cancers, leading to identification of early-stage breast cancers, which largely accounts for decreased mortality from breast cancer and the increased rate of breast conservation. Identification of a suspicious lesion on a mammogram prompts further evaluation including additional mammographic views, ultrasound examination, and biopsy. Recently, MRI and positron emission tomography are being offered as adjuncts to the preoperative workup to better stage the patient; however, there is still controversy over the most appropriate use of these modalities.