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Sonographic Features of Breast Carcinoma Presenting as Masses in BRCA Gene Mutation Carriers
Author(s) -
Mesurolle Benoît,
Kadoch Laurence,
El-Khoury Mona,
Lisbona André,
Dendukuri Nandini,
Foulkes William D.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of ultrasound in medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.574
H-Index - 91
eISSN - 1550-9613
pISSN - 0278-4297
DOI - 10.7863/jum.2007.26.6.817
Subject(s) - medicine , breast cancer , breast imaging , carcinoma , breast carcinoma , radiology , pathology , oncology , cancer , mammography
Objective The purpose of this study was to review the sonographic features of breast cancer gene BRCA1 ‐ and BRCA2 ‐associated breast carcinomas in comparison with “sporadic” breast carcinomas and benign breast masses. Methods Sonograms of 233 breast masses, including 33 BRCA ‐associated malignant masses ( BRCA1 , 15; BRCA2 , 18), 148 sporadic malignant masses, and 52 benign masses, were reviewed by consensus by 2 radiologists according to American College of Radiology Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI‐RADS) terminology. Results Most of the sporadic and BRCA1 ‐and BRCA2 ‐associated cancers displayed an irregular shape (91.2%, 93.3%, and 83.3%, respectively). BRCA1 ‐associated cancers showed microlobulated margins in 53.3% versus 33.8% (sporadic) and 33.3% ( BRCA2 ). A parallel orientation was most frequently encountered in BRCA1 ‐associated lesions (46.7%) versus sporadic (33.8%) and BRCA2 (33.3%), whereas posterior acoustic shadowing was least frequently seen in BRCA1 ‐associated lesions (13.3%) versus BRCA2 (16.7%) and sporadic (31.1%). Most (73.3%) of the BRCA1 ‐associated lesions were classified as BI‐RADS category 4, whereas most of the sporadic and BRCA2 ‐associated lesions were classified as BI‐RADS category 5 (66.2% and 72.2%). Conclusions Sonographic features of BRCA ‐associated and sporadic breast carcinomas do not differ substantially. BRCA1 ‐associated breast carcinomas trend toward less malignant sonographic characteristics, but strict application of the BI‐RADS categorizations demands that they be classified as category 4 or 5.