WEDNESDAY, Dec. 4, 2013 (HealthDay News) -- A screening mammography interval of less than 1.5 years is associated with a significantly reduced rate of lymph node positivity. In addition, 3T magnetic resonance guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) ablation shows promise for invasive ductal breast cancer. These two studies were presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, held from Dec. 1 to 6 in Chicago.
Lilian Wang, M.D., from the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago, and colleagues conducted a retrospective review of screen-detected breast cancers between 2007 and 2010 to compare the efficacy of screening mammography performed at various intervals (group 1: <1.5 years; group 2: 1.5 to 3.0 years; group 3: >3.0 years). The researchers identified 332 patients with screen-detected cancers: 207 in group 1; 73 in group 2; and 52 in group 3. Lymph node positivity was significantly lower in group 1 (8.7 versus 20.5 and 15.4 percent, respectively; P = 0.002).
Luisa Di Mare, M.D., from Sapienza University in Rome, and colleagues conducted a retrospective study involving 12 patients with unifocal biopsy-proven invasive ductal breast cancer who underwent MRgFUS ablation. The researchers observed no significant complications during or immediately after surgery. In 10 patients, no enhancement was seen at breast treatment area in multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging. In all 10 patients, postoperative histological examination confirmed the absence of residual neoplastic foci in necrotic tissue area. Treatment failed in two patients due to transducer malfunction.
"This procedure allows for safe ablation of breast cancer," a co-author of the Di Mare study said in a statement.
One author from the Wang study disclosed financial ties to the medical device industry.
Press Release - Wang
Press Release - Di Mare
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