Associations of preoperative breast magnetic resonance imaging with subsequent mastectomy and breast cancer mortality

Abstract

Purpose

To examine associations between pre-operative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) use and clinical outcomes among women undergoing breast-conserving surgery (BCS) with or without radiotherapy for early-stage breast cancer.

Methods

We identified women from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare dataset aged 67–94 diagnosed during 2004–2010 with stage I/II breast cancer who received BCS. We compared subsequent mastectomy and breast cancer mortality with versus without pre-operative MRI, using Cox regression and competing risks models. We further stratified by receipt of radiotherapy for subgroup analyses.

Results

Our sample consisted of 24,379 beneficiaries, 4691 (19.2%) of whom received pre-operative MRI. Adjusted rates of subsequent mastectomy and breast cancer mortality were not significantly different with and without MRI: 3.2 versus 4.1 per 1000 person-years [adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) 0.92; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.70–1.19] and 5.3 versus 8.7 per 1000 person-years (AHR 0.89; 95% CI 0.73–1.08), respectively. In subgroup analyses, women receiving BCS plus radiotherapy had similar rates of subsequent mastectomy (AHR 1.17; 95% CI 0.84–1.61) and breast cancer mortality (AHR 1.00; 95% CI 0.80–1.24) with versus without MRI. However, among women receiving BCS alone, MRI use was associated with lower risks of subsequent mastectomy (AHR 0.60; 95% CI 0.37–0.98) and breast cancer mortality (AHR 0.57; 95% CI 0.36–0.92).

Conclusions

Pre-operative MRI was associated with improved outcomes among older women with breast cancer receiving BCS alone, but not among those receiving BCS plus radiotherapy. Further research is needed to identify appropriate settings for which MRI may be helpful.

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