Comparison of Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Mammography in the Evaluation of Carcinoma Breast- A Longitudinal Observational Study

Abstract

Introduction: Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in females worldwide. Mammography is a useful tool to diagnose breast cancer. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has similar sensitivity like mammography to diagnose breast cancer, however MRI is more sensitive in diagnosing breast cancer in young females and patients with family history of breast cancer. Aim: To compare the sensitivity and specificity of MRI and mammography in the diagnosis of breast cancer. Materials and Methods: This was a longitudinal observational study done in the General Surgery Department of the study institute, from April 2018 to January 2020. Total 228 patients participated in the study. All patients, suspected to have breast cancer clinically, underwent mammography and MRI. The diagnosis was later confirmed by histopathological examination. The sensitivity and specificity of both MRI and mammography were determined by comparing with the results of histopathological examination using student’s t-test. Results: All 228 patients were females. In the study, it was found out that the sensitivity of mammography and MRI was 95% and 95.83%, respectively, in detecting breast cancer. The specificity of mammography and MRI was 89.28% and 83.33%, respectively. However, the differences were statistically non significant. Conclusion: From the study, it was found out that the sensitivity and specificity of MRI and mammography is similar in detecting breast cancer.