Associations between Dynamic Contrast Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Clinically Relevant Histopathological Features in Breast Cancer: A Multicenter Analysis

Background/Aim: To provide data regarding relationships between quantitative dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE MRI) and prognostic factors in breast cancer (BC). Patients and Methods: Data from 4 Centers (200 female patients, mean age, 51.2±11.5 years) were acquired. The following data were collected: histopathological diagnosis, tumor grade, stage, hormone receptor status, KI 67, and DCE MRI values including K_trans (volume transfer constant), V_e (volume of the extravascular extracellular leakage space (EES) and K_ep (diffusion of contrast medium from the EES back to the plasma). DCE MRI values between different groups were compared using the Mann-Whitney U-test and by the Kruskal-Wallis H test. The association between DCE MRI and Ki 67 values was calculated by the Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. Results: DCE MRI values of different tumor subtypes overlapped significantly. There were no statistically significant differences of DCE MRI values between different tumor grades. All DCE MRI parameters correlated with KI-67: K_trans, r=0.44, p=0.0001; V_e, r=0.34, p=0.0001; K_ep, r=0.28, p=0.002.