Performing preoperative breast MRI in all women with invasive lobular carcinoma can reduce the need for re-excision

Women with invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast are at risk for incomplete tumor excision after breast conserving therapy. Consequently, the rate of re-excisions in these women is unacceptably high, ranging from 27 to 67%. Breast MRI is much better in showing the complete extent of the tumor and hence facilitates lesion evaluation. Performing preoperative breast MRI in all women with ILC can reduce the need for re-excision from 27% to 9%. This can be achieved without increasing the rate of final mastectomies, so breast MRI stratifies patients directly to the correct therapy. Moreover MRI does not need to increase total treatment time. However, experience in breast MRI for both radiologists and surgeons is essential

Bibliographic Reference:

Mann RM et al.: "The impact of preoperative breast MRI on the re-excision rate in invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast", Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2010 Jan;119(2):415-22

Ritse Mann

Department of Radiology, Radboud University Nijmegen, Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands