Abstract #2902

Peacock S, Lorenzo J, DeMartini W, Partridge S, Eby P, Rosen E, Lehman C, McCloskey J, Thursten B

Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) elucidates tissue microstructure, and studies have recently shown promising results for tumor characterization. DTI extends standard DWI to assess diffusion anisotropy or directionality in addition to mobility. We hypothesized that disruption of the breast ductal network by invading cancer may cause alterations in water diffusion properties in the tissue that will be reflected by DTI parameters. In this study, DTI parameters were measured and compared in human breast tumors, benign lesions, and normal tissue. DTI demonstrated significantly reduced ADC and increased FA in tumors compared to normal tissue, while benign lesions were comparable to normal values.