American College of Radiology Imaging Network

Phase III Trial Finds No Oncologic Benefit from Routine Preoperative MRI in Early-Stage Breast Cancer

- The Alliance A011104/ACRIN 6694 phase III trial found that preoperative breast MRI did not improve local regional recurrence, distant recurrence-free survival, or overall survival in patients with early-stage triple-negative and HER2-positive breast cancer. - Among 319 patients followed for a median of 61.1 months, 5-year local regional control rates were comparable between MRI and no-MRI groups at 93.2% and 95.7% respectively. - The findings suggest that routine preoperative breast MRI for staging newly diagnosed breast cancer does not result in improved oncologic outcomes or surgical care. - Researchers propose that systemic chemotherapy and radiation therapy may adequately treat MRI-detected disease, or that advances in mammographic imaging have limited MRI's utility for local staging.