Indications for breast magnetic resonance imaging at a referral center for the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in Brazil

Abstract

Objective: To describe the indications for breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at a referral center for breast cancer in Brazil. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study in which we reviewed the clinical records, including physician requests and patient questionnaires, of women who underwent breast MRI between 2014 and 2018 at a referral center for the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Results: The most common indication for breast MRI was as a complement to mammography/ultrasonography (in 43.6% of cases), followed by breast cancer staging (in 25.1%), the screening of patients at high risk (in 17.4%), the evaluation of breast implants (in 10.1%), and the evaluation of the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (in 3.8%). Conclusion: Although there is strong evidence supporting the use of breast MRI, mainly for the screening of high-risk patients, the imaging method is underutilized in Brazil.

Association of Magnetic Resonance and Tumor Markers in Patients Submitted to Neoadjunct Treatment of Breast Cancer: An Integrative Review

“…In the literature, the main indications for breast MRI are for screening women with a risk greater than 20% for the development of cancer, carriers of mutations in the BRCA 1/2 genes, patients who between 10 and 30 years of age underwent treatment with radiotherapy or have Li-Fraumeni and Cowden syndromes and have a personal or family history of cancer. Another very accurate form of MRI is to observe the response to neoadjuvant treatment with the findings of the pathological anatomy of the surgical specimen together with tumor markers (FERREIRA et al, 2021). It is a protease present in lysosomes, its protein precursor is pro-cathepsin D and is found elevated in some breast tumors.…”

Indications for breast magnetic resonance imaging in Brazil: past, present, and future

“…We read with great interest the article "Liver venous deprivation prior to hepatectomy: an interventional radiology procedure", authored by Alves et al (1) , in a recent issue of Radiologia Brasileira. This is an excellent addition to the "Advances in Radiology" section of the journal, which highlights the latest developments in medical practice in Brazil.…”

“…Alves et al (1) described concomitant PVE and proximal right hepatic vein embolization with a vascular plug. This technique might be more appropriately designated biembolization (5) , be-ing slightly different from liver venous deprivation (LVD).…”

“…Segment IV PVE, which was performed by Alves et al (1) , has been reported to induce additional liver hypertrophy (8) . http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/0100-3984.2021.0056…”

“…In the previous issue of Radiologia Brasileira , Ferreira et al ( 1 ) described the main indications for breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination at a referral center for the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in Brazil. The results presented by those authors corroborate the findings of a previous study conducted by our group, carried out at another referral center in Brazil and published in the journal in 2011 ( 2 ) .…”