Melissa L. Pilewskie, MD

Melissa L. Pilewskie, MD, assistant attending physician, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, comments on outcomes and guidelines for MRI in patients with DCIS.

- Outcome data should support the use of any expensive test

- Data does not exist to support the routine use of MRI in DCIS patients and invasive breast cancer patients

- It would be beneficial to have guidelines for the appropriate use of MRI

- Currently, the use of MRI is largely dependent on the surgeon and institution

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Outcomes and Guidelines for  MRI in Patients With DCIS

Melissa L. Pilewskie, MD, assistant attending physician, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, gives an overview of the background and results from a study that analyzed perioperative MRI and recurrence rates in women with DCIS.

This large retrospective study was done to evaluate the association of MRI and long-term outcomes, meaning locoregional recurrence and contralateral breast cancer in women with DCIS. Researchers found that there was no difference between the rates of locoregional recurrence and those women with or without a perioperative MRI at 5 and 8 years. There was also no significant difference observed in the rates of locoregional recurrence at 5 or 8 years in women who did not have radiation therapy, though theoretically these patients would benefit most from the addition of MRI. There was also no difference in the rates of contralateral breast cancer between women with and without MRI.

Ultimately, Pilewskie says, these data add to the literature that MRI use for women with DCIS is not associated with improved outcomes.

This study was done to evaluate the association of perioperative MRI and long-term outcomes

There was no association observed between perioperative MRI and locoregional recurrence rates for patients with DCIS, even when radiotherapy was not given

Melissa L. Pilewskie, MD | Authors

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Outcomes and Guidelines for MRI in Patients With DCIS

MRI and Recurrence Rates in Women With DCIS