Abstract
The aim of this study was to compare the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in the evaluation of the spread of breast cancer by pathological assessment of specimens that were resected immediately after CEUS. We enrolled 21 patients who provided written informed consent and underwent partial mastectomy for breast cancer between September 2015 and June 2016. Three distances of cancer spreading, based on MRI (d-MRI), CEUS (d-CEUS), and specimen (d-PAT) evaluations, were measured in each patient, and the rate of correspondence between d-MRI and d-PAT was compared with that between d-CEUS and d-PAT. CEUS preceded by partial mastectomy under general anesthesia, and the spread of breast cancer was assessed by enhancement of a low echoic spot. Partial mastectomy was performed according to the spreading revealed by CEUS, and the resected specimen was serially sectioned and evaluated. The rate of correspondence between d-MRI and d-PAT was 57.1%, and that between d-CEUS and d-PAT was 54.2%. Both d-MRI and d-CEUS were correlated with d-PAT (r=0.755, p<0.0001), and d-CEUS was also correlated with d-MRI. CEUS was as useful as MRI for the estimation of the spread of breast cancer. Because the patients were in the supine position during CEUS, similar to the position assumed during surgery, CEUS was also useful in decision-making regarding the resection line for breast-conserving surgery.
