The clinical impact of MRI on surgical planning for patients with in-breast tumor recurrence

Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical utility of breast MRI for patients with known in-breast tumor recurrence (IBTR). The aim was to determine if the addition of breast MRI altered surgical approach or multidisciplinary management. Summary background data Previous studies have focused on using breast MRI for surgical planning for index breast cancers (BC) or detecting IBTR. However, the clinical impact of obtaining MRI in the setting of known IBTR has not been evaluated. Methods A single-institution retrospective chart review was performed to compare surgical approach and multidisciplinary management for patients diagnosed with isolated IBTR who did and did not undergo breast MRI following IBTR diagnosis. Results IBTR was identified in 69 patients, 46% of whom underwent MRI. There was no difference in the operative approach ( p = 0.14) for IBTR patients who did and did not undergo breast MRI Additionally, there was no difference in multidisciplinary care, treatment order, metastatic disease identification, or mortality between cohorts. A relatively small subgroup of patients ( n = 3) required change in surgical plan based on MRI results. Patients proceeding with surgery first who also underwent breast MRI experienced a significantly longer time to surgical intervention ( p = 0.03). Conclusion Breast MRI following IBTR diagnosis infrequently impacted clinical management, including surgical approach and multidisciplinary care. MRI for local disease assessment at the time of IBTR should be used selectively based on clinical concern.