Initial study on in vivo conductivity mapping of breast cancer using MRI.
PURPOSE
To develop and apply a method to measure in vivo electrical conductivity values using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in subjects with breast cancer.


MATERIALS AND METHODS
A recently developed technique named MREPT (MR electrical properties tomography) together with a novel coil combination process was used to quantify the conductivity values. The overall technique was validated using a phantom study. In addition, 90 subjects were imaged (50 subjects with previously biopsy-confirmed breast tumor and 40 normal subjects), which was approved by our institutional review board (IRB). A routine clinical protocol, specifically a T2 -weighted FSE (fast spin echo) imaging data, was used for reconstruction of conductivity.


RESULTS
By employing the coil combination, the relative error in the conductivity map was reduced from ~70% to 10%. The average conductivity values in breast cancers regions (0.89 ± 0.33S/m) was higher compared to parenchymal tissue (0.43 S/m, P < 0.0001) and fat (0.07 S/m, P < 0.00005) regions. Malignant cases (0.89 S/m, n = 30) showed increased conductivity compared to benign cases (0.56 S/m, n = 5) (P < 0.05). In addition, invasive cancers (0.96 S/m) showed higher mean conductivity compared to in situ cancers (0.57 S/m) (P < 0.0005).


CONCLUSION
This study shows that conductivity mapping of breast cancers is feasible using a noninvasive in vivo MREPT technique combined with a coil combination process. The method may provide a tool in the MR diagnosis of breast cancer.
['Shin|Jaewook|J|', 'Kim|Min Jung|MJ|', 'Lee|Joonsung|J|', 'Nam|Yoonho|Y|', 'Kim|Min-Oh|MO|', 'Choi|Narae|N|', 'Kim|Sooyeon|S|', 'Kim|Dong-Hyun|DH|']
D000328:Adult D000368:Aged D000465:Algorithms D001943:Breast Neoplasms D004553:Electric Conductivity D005260:Female D006801:Humans D007089:Image Enhancement D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging D008875:Middle Aged D010865:Pilot Projects D010992:Plethysmography, Impedance D015203:Reproducibility of Results D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
breast cancer magnetic resonance electrical properties tomography electrical conductivity mapping