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Diagnostics
Volume 15
Issue 22
10.3390/diagnostics15222826
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Comparison of Contralateral Breast Background Parenchymal Enhancement on MRI Before and After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy According to Molecular Subtypes in Unilateral Breast Cancer

by
Mi Young Kim
,
Nami Choi
*,
Surin Park
,
Jeemin Seo
,
Su Yeon Ahn
and
Yoon Joo Shin
Department of Radiology, Konkuk University Medical Center, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul 05030, Republic of Korea
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Diagnostics 2025, 15(22), 2826; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics15222826 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 23 September 2025 / Revised: 3 November 2025 / Accepted: 6 November 2025 / Published: 7 November 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Medical Imaging and Theranostics)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Background/Objectives: To evaluate changes in background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) in the contralateral breast on MRI before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), stratified by molecular subtype in patients with unilateral breast cancer. Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed 116 individuals diagnosed with unilateral breast cancer by biopsy, all of whom underwent breast MRI examinations before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Contralateral breast BPE was graded into four levels (BPEC: 1 = minimal, 2 = mild, 3 = moderate, 4 = marked) by two readers in consensus. Histopathological features and BPE reduction were compared according to molecular subtype. Results: BPE showed a reduction across all molecular subtypes after NAC. In ER-positive cancers, BPEC shifted from 26/16/28/30% to 68/28/4/0%; in HER2-positive cancers, from 37.8/26.7/22.2/13.3% to 73.3/20.0/6.7/0%; and in triple-negative breast cancers, from 47.6/14.3/23.8/14.3% to 76.2/14.3/9.5/0%. Compared to the ER-positive cancer, the reduction in BPE over time was significantly greater in the HER2-positive cancer group (Estimate = 0.48, p = 0.0168) and TNBC (Estimate = 0.55, p = 0.0321), suggesting that the extent of BPE decrease varied by subtype. Conclusions: The extent of BPE reduction on breast MRI following NAC varies significantly across different molecular subtypes of breast cancer.
Keywords: breast; MRI; neoadjuvant chemotherapy breast; MRI; neoadjuvant chemotherapy

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MDPI and ACS Style

Kim, M.Y.; Choi, N.; Park, S.; Seo, J.; Ahn, S.Y.; Shin, Y.J. Comparison of Contralateral Breast Background Parenchymal Enhancement on MRI Before and After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy According to Molecular Subtypes in Unilateral Breast Cancer. Diagnostics 2025, 15, 2826. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics15222826

AMA Style

Kim MY, Choi N, Park S, Seo J, Ahn SY, Shin YJ. Comparison of Contralateral Breast Background Parenchymal Enhancement on MRI Before and After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy According to Molecular Subtypes in Unilateral Breast Cancer. Diagnostics. 2025; 15(22):2826. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics15222826

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kim, Mi Young, Nami Choi, Surin Park, Jeemin Seo, Su Yeon Ahn, and Yoon Joo Shin. 2025. "Comparison of Contralateral Breast Background Parenchymal Enhancement on MRI Before and After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy According to Molecular Subtypes in Unilateral Breast Cancer" Diagnostics 15, no. 22: 2826. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics15222826

APA Style

Kim, M. Y., Choi, N., Park, S., Seo, J., Ahn, S. Y., & Shin, Y. J. (2025). Comparison of Contralateral Breast Background Parenchymal Enhancement on MRI Before and After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy According to Molecular Subtypes in Unilateral Breast Cancer. Diagnostics, 15(22), 2826. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics15222826

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