Sunita Pal

Estrogen Receptor–Negative Invasive Breast Cancer: Imaging Features of Tumors with and without Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Type 2 Overexpression1

PURPOSE To prospectively determine if estrogen receptor (ER)-negative human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2)-positive and ER-negative HER2-negative breast cancers have distinguishing clinical and imaging features with use of retrospectively identified patients and tissue samples. MATERIALS AND METHODS This HIPAA-compliant study was institutional review board approved. Informed consent was obtained from living patients and waived for deceased patients. Mean patient age at diagnosis was 53 years (range, 31-84 years). Clinical history; histopathologic, mammographic, and breast sonographic findings; and HER2 status as determined with immunohistochemistry or fluorescent in situ hybridization were evaluated in 56 women with ER-negative breast cancer. Imaging appearances and clinicopathologic characteristics were correlated with tumor HER2 status. P < .05 indicated a significant difference. RESULTS Lesion margins on mammograms (P = .028) and sonograms (P = .023), calcifications on mammograms (P = .003), and clinical cancer stage at diagnosis (P = .029) were significantly associated with HER2 status. In contrast to ER-negative HER2-negative tumors, ER-negative HER2-positive tumors were more likely to have spiculated margins (56% vs 15%), be associated with calcifications (65% vs 21%), and be detected at a higher cancer stage (74% vs 57%). CONCLUSION Biologic diversity of cancers may manifest in imaging characteristics, and, conversely, studying the range of imaging features of cancers may help refine current molecular phenotypes.

Mammographic Screening in Women at Increased Risk of Breast Cancer after Treatment of Hodgkin’s Disease

Abstract:  Treatment regimens for Hodgkin’s disease (HD) that have included radiation to lymph node regions in the thorax have contributed to high rates of long‐term disease‐free survival. However, incidental radiation exposure of breast tissue in young women has significantly increased the risk of breast cancer compared to expected rates in the general population. After informing patients about risks associated with previous treatment of HD, we studied screening mammograms and call‐back rates in women at increased risk for developing breast cancer at a younger age. We contacted by mail a cohort of 291 women between 25 and 55 years of age who had received thoracic irradiation before 35 years of age for HD with or without chemotherapy. Subjects were offered information about risks identified after HD therapy with questionnaires to assess response to this information. Ten patients refused participation, 93 did not respond, and 21 were excluded after they reported a prior diagnosis of invasive ( 1 ) or in situ ( 2 ) breast cancer. One hundred and sixty seven women received information about secondary breast cancer risk and were advised to initiate or maintain mammographic screening. Available mammograms were reviewed by two radiologists and classified according to the ACR BI‐RADSTM Mammography Lexicon. Abnormal findings were correlated to pathology results from biopsies. One hundred and fifteen subjects reported that they obtained new mammograms during the period of the study. Ninety‐nine were available for secondary review. Patients were studied an average of 16.9 years after HD treatment (Range: 4.5–32.5 years) at an average of 41 years of age (range 25–55 years). High density breast tissue was identified in 60% (60/99). Seventeen of the women (17.2%) were recalled for further imaging. This was more common in women with heterogeneously dense breast tissue. Seven of those recalled (41%) were advised to undergo biopsies that identified ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) in one and benign findings in the others. Among 16 women whose mammograms were unavailable for review, three were diagnosed with DCIS; two of these had microscopic evidence of invasive breast cancer. The four in situ or microinvasive cancers were diagnosed in the study participants at 25–40 years of age and from 5 to 23 years after HD therapy. Biopsies were performed because mammograms detected microcalcifications without palpable abnormality in three of these cases. Women who have had thoracic nodal irradiation for Hodgkin’s disease have an increased risk of developing secondary breast cancer at an unusually young age. As expected in younger women, high density breast tissue was common on mammography, and the recall and biopsy rates were unusually high. However, early mammographic screening facilitated diagnosis of in situ and early invasive cancer in 3.5% of our subjects.

Rim Sign in Breast Lesions on Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Diagnostic Accuracy and Clinical Usefulness

To investigate the diagnostic accuracy and clinical usefulness of the rim sign in breast lesions observed in diffusion‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI).

Freehand MRI-guided preoperative needle localization of breast lesions after MRI-guided vacuum-assisted core needle biopsy without marker placement†

To evaluate the feasibility of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)‐guided preoperative needle localization (PNL) of breast lesions previously sampled by MRI‐guided vacuum‐assisted core needle biopsy (VACNB) without marker placement.

Why Are Patients Noncompliant With Follow-Up Recommendations After MRI-Guided Core Needle Biopsy of Suspicious Breast Lesions?

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to investigate patient and breast MRI characteristics associated with noncompliance with recommended follow-up after MRI-guided core needle biopsy of suspicious breast lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective review was performed of 576 breast lesions biopsied under MRI guidance between 2007 and 2010. Patient follow-up was obtained from the medical record and from contact with referring physicians. RESULTS Of 415 women who underwent 576 MRI-guided core needle biopsies for suspicious breast lesions, 123 (29.6%) patients representing 154 of 576 (26.7%) lesions were noncompliant with recommended excision or 6-month MRI follow-up. Referring physicians provided information for 63% (97/154) of lesions in noncompliant patients, of which 49.5% (48/97) were followed by mammography instead of excision or MRI. Noncompliance with MRI follow-up was significantly associated with referral for biopsy by outside hospital physicians (odds ratio [OR], 2.40; p = 0.0001) and with referral for screening MRI (1.46; p = 0.093) and biopsy of a focus or foci lesion (1.63; p = 0.088). Among 178 lesions in patients compliant with follow-up MRI after MRI-guided core needle biopsy, 7.9% (14/178) had abnormal follow-up MRI results, half of which (3.9%, 7/178) were found on repeat biopsy to be high-risk or malignant. CONCLUSION Institutions performing MRI-guided core biopsies should be aware that patients referred from outside institutions are more likely to be noncompliant with recommended follow-up. Strategies to improve follow-up should include educating patients on the difference between mammography and MRI follow-up.

Abstract P2-01-05: Correlation of percutaneously biopsied axillary lymph nodes marked with black tattoo ink prior to neoadjuvant chemotherapy with sentinel lymph nodes in breast cancer patients

Introduction: Sonographic evaluation of the axilla and percutaneous biopsy of abnormal lymph nodes with fine needle aspiration (FNA) or core needle biopsy (CNB) has become more common practice in patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer prior to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy is considered the gold standard for axillary staging in clinically node negative breast cancer patients. Currently, there is no clear correlation of sonographically detected abnormal lymph nodes and open surgical assessment. We conducted an exploratory pilot study which marked suspicious axillary lymph nodes with black tattoo ink at the time of percutaneous needle biopsy prior to NAC. Black nodes visualized during axillary surgery were evaluated in comparison to SLNs. Methods: Breast cancer patients with clinical and/or sonographically suspicious axillary lymph nodes prior to NAC were included in the study. Following FNA or CNB biopsy of node, 0.1 to 0.5 ml of a sterile, highly purified, biocompatible fine carbon suspension (Spot™) was injected into the cortex of the lymph node and adjacent soft tissue. A total of 12 patients were injected with black ink prior to NAC. Intraoperative presence of black pigment was assessed and correlation between sentinel and tattooed nodes were evaluated. Results: Nine patients had a positive percutaneous lymph node biopsy prior to NAC. The average number of days that elapsed between injection and to surgery was 130 days. A successful SLN procedure was performed in all patients. A black tattooed node was identified in all patients and correlated to a SLN. 7 patients were down-staged in the axilla and 6 patients did not go onto completion axillary dissection. One patient with a negative SLN had a completion axillary dissection, but no additional positive lymph nodes were found. Four patients with positive SLN had a completion axillary dissection (1 of whom was a false negative percutaneous biopsy). In all four patients, the positive sentinel node contained visible black ink. There was one patient who had an additional positive sentinel node, which was not black. Two axillary dissections contained additional positive nodes. Conclusion: Black ink tattooing with sterile black ink (Spot™), successfully marked suspicious lymph nodes prior to NAC. These correlated to a SLN. In node positive patients with a partial response in the axillary lymph nodes following neoadjuvant chemotherapy, previously marked, black-inked node proved to be the persistent positive node. Tattooing of lymph nodes at the time of percutaneous biopsy may improve the accuracy of surgical axillary staging by aiding in the intra-operative identification of previously biopsied nodes. Citation Format: Nicole Choy, Jafi Lipson, Sunita Pal, Debra Ikeda, Long Trinh, Kimberly Allison, Michael Ozawa, Amanda Wheeler, Irene Wapnir. Correlation of percutaneously biopsied axillary lymph nodes marked with black tattoo ink prior to neoadjuvant chemotherapy with sentinel lymph nodes in breast cancer patients [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2014 Dec 9-13; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(9 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-01-05.

Improving Performance of Mammographic Breast Positioning in an Academic Radiology Practice

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this project was to achieve sustained improvement in mammographic breast positioning in our department. MATERIALS AND METHODS Between June 2013 and December 2016, we conducted a team-based performance improvement initiative with the goal of improving mammographic positioning. The team of technologists and radiologists established quantitative measures of positioning performance based on American College of Radiology (ACR) criteria, audited at least 35 mammograms per week for positioning quality, displayed performance in dashboards, provided technologists with positioning training, developed a supportive environment fostering technologist and radiologist communication surrounding mammographic positioning, and employed a mammography positioning coach to develop, improve, and maintain technologist positioning performance. Statistical significance in changes in the percentage of mammograms passing the ACR criteria were evaluated using a two-proportion z test. RESULTS A baseline mammogram audit performed in June 2013 showed that 67% (82/122) met ACR passing criteria for positioning. Performance improved to 80% (588/739; p < 0.01) after positioning training and technologist and radiologist agreement on positioning criteria. With individual technologist feedback, positioning further improved, with 91% of mammograms passing ACR criteria (p < 0.01). Seven months later, performance temporarily decreased to 80% but improved to 89% with implementation of a positioning coach. The overall mean performance of 91% has been sustained for 23 months. The program cost approximately

Abstract P4-01-05: Improving the quality of mammographic positioning

30,000 to develop,

Initial Results with Preoperative Tattooing of Biopsied Axillary Lymph Nodes and Correlation to Sentinel Lymph Nodes in Breast Cancer Patients

42,000 to launch, and

Compliance with recommended follow-up after fine-needle aspiration biopsy of nonpalpable breast lesions: a retrospective study.

25,000 per year to maintain. Almost all costs were related to personnel time. CONCLUSION Dedicated performance improvement methods may achieve significant and sustained improvement in mammographic breast positioning, which may better enable facilities to pass the recently instated Enhancing Quality Using the Inspection Program portion of a practices annual Mammography Quality Standards Act inspections.