Diffusion-Weighted Imaging for the Discrimination of Benign and Malignant Breast Masses; Utility of ADC and Relative ADC

PURPOSE: To determine the contribution of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), and relative ADC (rADC) values to differentiate between benign and malignant breast masses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the breast with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) of patients with benign or malignant breast masses diagnosed either by histopathological findings or by follow-up imaging were evaluated retrospectively. Histopathological analyses were performed for 71 lesions (80.7%) while the remaining were followed up every six months for one year. DWI was performed using b-values of 0 and 1000 sec/mm(2), and ADC and rADC were calculated and compared. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and Youden index were used to evaluate the parameter’s optimal threshold and diagnostic value. Statistical significance was set as p < 0.05. RESULTS: Eighty-eight lesions from a total of 81 patients, aged between 16 and 73 (mean age 42 ± 11.3) years were obtained and evaluated. Pathological results of 34 (38.6%) out of 71 lesions were malignant and 37 lesions (42%) were benign. Seventeen (19.3%) lesions remained stable at one-year follow-up and were accepted as benign breast masses. Mean ADC values of benign and malignant lesions were 1.584 × 10(–3)mm(2)/sec and 0.884 × 10(–3)mm(2)/sec (p < 0.05), respectively. Sensitivity and specificity of ADC were 88% and 87%, respectively at a cut-off value of 1.04 × 10(–3)mm(2)/sec. Mean rADC was 0.931 for benign lesions and 0.557 for malignant lesions (p < 0.05). Sensitivity and specificity were 82% and 83% at a cut-off value of 0.639. No prominent superiority of rADC over ADC is identified in the differentiation of breast masses. CONCLUSION: ADC and rADC values derived from DWI can be equally useful in clinical setting to differentiate benign from malignant breast masses.