Value of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in combination with mammography for screening early-stage breast cancer

Objective: To study the value of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) in combination with mammography for screening early-stage breast cancer.Methods: Ninety-three female patients visiting Zhejiang Zhuji Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2020 to March 2022 were enrolled to receive DCE-MRI and mammography. The diagnostic efficiencies of different methods were assessed with pathological diagnosis as the golden standard. The factors affecting diagnostic sensitivity were investigated based on clinicopathological characteristics.Results: Forty-one patients were diagnosed as malignant pathological changes by DCE-MRI, and the signs were unclear bound-ary with surrounding tissues and irregular or unsmooth edges. The maximum linear slope and ratio of the maximum linear Slop-eR of malignant pathological changes were significantly larger than those of benign pathological changes (P<0.05). Forty-five patients were diagnosed as malignant pathological changes by mammography combined with DCE-MRI. Compared to single diagnosis method, the combined diagnosis had significantly increased sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value, and decreased rates of missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis (P<0.05). Lesion diameter was an inde- pendent risk factor affecting the diagnostic sensitivity (P<0.05).Conclusion: Mammography and DCE-MRI play key roles in the early diagnosis of breast cancer, and their combination can increase the diagnostic efficiency.