Whitman, Gary J.

Breast biopsy markers have evolved from simple metallic devices to sophisticated multimaterial tools that have become essential for breast cancer care, demonstrating their clinical benefits in surgical planning, radiation targeting, and cost reduction.

Abstract The integration of personal protective equipment (PPE) and procedures into breast imaging and intervention practices will mitigate the risk of transmission of COVID-19 during the pandemic. Although supply chain shortages have improved, understanding the proper use of PPE and protocols to mitigate overconsumption are important to ensure efficacious utilization of PPE. Protocols and best practices are reviewed, and guidelines and resource materials are referenced in order to support breast imaging healthcare professionals.

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study is to summarize the results of a survey distributed by the Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) to assess applicants’ experience with the 2018 and 2019 Breast Imaging Fellowship Match process. Methods In this institutional review board–exempt study, the SBI issued an anonymous survey to all matched applicants in an attempt to gauge their experience with the 2018 and 2019 Match process. Results The survey was sent to all 2018 and 2019 matched applicants and 105/236 (45%) responses were received. The majority (75%, 79/105) of respondents reported a positive experience with the Match, with at least a 4/5 rating, and only 3% (5/105) reported a rating below 3/5. There was some improvement in 2019, with 86% (24/28) of respondents reporting at least a 4/5 rating compared to 71% (55/77) in 2018. No respondent reported a score below a 3/5 rating in 2019. The most commonly cited issues with the Match were the timing of the Match process, the need for a universal application, and the burden of travel. Location and program reputation were the two most important factors contributing to the final rank order of programs. Conclusion The great majority of applicants felt that the Match created a positive experience. Planned areas of improvement include the implementation of a universal application, the transition to virtual interviews, and a condensed timeline. These measures are likely to increase applicant satisfaction and provide a fair and efficient experience for future breast radiologists.

BACKGROUNDThe objective of this study was to demonstrate that computer‐extracted image phenotypes (CEIPs) of biopsy‐proven breast cancer on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can accurately predict pathologic stage.METHODSThe authors used a data set of deidentified breast MRIs organized by the National Cancer Institute in The Cancer Imaging Archive. In total, 91 biopsy‐proven breast cancers were analyzed from patients who had information available on pathologic stage (stage I, n = 22; stage II, n = 58; stage III, n = 11) and surgically verified lymph node status (negative lymph nodes, n = 46; ≥ 1 positive lymph node, n = 44; no lymph nodes examined, n = 1). Tumors were characterized according to 1) radiologist‐measured size and 2) CEIP. Then, models were built that combined 2 CEIPs to predict tumor pathologic stage and lymph node involvement, and the models were evaluated in a leave‐1‐out, cross‐validation analysis with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) as the value of interest.RESULTSTumor size was the most powerful predictor of pathologic stage, but CEIPs that captured biologic behavior also emerged as predictive (eg, stage I and II vs stage III demonstrated an AUC of 0.83). No size measure was successful in the prediction of positive lymph nodes, but adding a CEIP that described tumor “homogeneity” significantly improved discrimination (AUC = 0.62; P = .003) compared with chance.CONCLUSIONSThe current results indicate that MRI phenotypes have promise for predicting breast cancer pathologic stage and lymph node status. Cancer 2016;122:748–757. © 2015 American Cancer Society.