1Berkeley/UCSF Bioengineering Joint
Graduate Group, Berkeley, CA, United States; 2Bioengineering, University
of California - Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States; 3Henry J
Wheeler, Jr. Brain Imaging Center, Berkeley, CA, United States; 4Radiology,
Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, United States
DCE
breast MRI is emerging as the second most common diagnostic imaging modality
for breast cancer, which has ~200,000 new cases and ~40,000 deaths
annually. However, breast MRI still
lacks adequate specificity. Magnetic
susceptibility mismatches near the breast/air interface contribute to field
inhomogeneities which make frequency selective fat suppression techniques
more difficult. We have developed
tissue susceptibility matched pyrolytic graphite foam that is lightweight,
safe for patients, and compatible with embedded RF coils. PG foams may improve frequency selective
fat suppression for breast MRI and provide more robust motion suppression,
which may lead to improved specificity in breast cancer diagnosis.