Multiple foci of invasive breast cancer: can breast MRI influence surgical management?
Johnson L., Pinder S., Douek M.
The use of MRI to assess the extent of breast disease is gaining increasing popularity with the subsequent detection of multiple invasive foci within the breast that had not been identified on previous standard mammography and ultrasonography. What impact this has on subsequent surgical management and ultimately disease-free survival remains a controversial topic. Should histologically confirmed multiple foci of invasive disease within a breast steer the surgical management towards mastectomy, or is there a role in select patients for breast conserving surgery, even if two or more incisions are required? This review considers the evidence for how MRI affects the mastectomy rate and compares this to surgical outcomes for breast conserving surgery in the presence of multiple invasive foci.