Microvessel density in invasive breast cancer assessed by dynamic gd-dtpa enhanced MRI

✍ Scribed by David L. Buckley; Philip J. Drew; Stavros Mussurakis; John R. T. Monson; Anthony Horsman

• Book ID: 102373121
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 484 KB
• Volume: 7
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1053-1807
• DOI: 10.1002/jmri.1880070302

✦ Synopsis

It has been postulated that the rapid enhancement demonstrated by breast carcinomas after administration of contrast media is a direct result of tumor angiogenesis. However, to date, little quantitative data have been published to support this view. A retrospective study has been undertaken to compare dynamic contrast-enhanced data obtained from 40 patients with microvessel density (MVD) evaluated in specimens immunohistochemically stained with a factor VIII related antigen. The dynamic data were analyzed quantitatively using both simple indices of enhancement and a two-compartment kinetic model. A moderate but significant correlation was demonstrated between initial enhancement and MVD, and this correlation strengthened when node-positive tumors were considered in isolation (r = .77, P < .0005). However, the data showed considerable variability. The enhancement characteristics of the tumors could not be explained solely by their MVD; therefore, MRI cannot be used to predict MVD in vivo. Further work is required to address the exact relationship between contrast-enhanced MRI and tumor angiogenesis.