Abbreviated vs Full MRI Protocols for Women With Extremely Dense Breasts

Background: Abbreviated breast MRI protocols may reduce cost and scan time in supplemental breast cancer screening. The Dense Tissue and Early Breast Neoplasm Screening (DENSE) trial provides a unique opportunity to evaluate abbreviated MRI in a real-world screening population. Objective: To compare multireader diagnostic accuracy of abbreviated screening breast MRI protocols with the full MRI protocol in women with extremely dense breasts enrolled in the DENSE trial. Design: Secondary analysis of a subset of the DENSE trial. Methods: 7 radiologists performed incremental readings of first-round screening MRIs in women with extremely dense breasts and mammography-negative findings. Sequences were assessed in 4 incremental steps: the first included high-temporal low-spatial and low-temporal high-spatial dynamic T1-weighted series (up to 120 seconds postcontrast); the final step included all full-protocol sequences. Each radiologist assessed the same MRI scans and provided Breast Imagin more...