Sonia P. Li1, N. Jane Taylor2,
J. James Stirling2, Mei-Lin W. Ah-See1, Mark J.
Beresford1, David J. Collins3, James A. d'Arcy3,
Andreas Makris1, Anwar R. Padhani2
1Mount Vernon Hospital,
Northwood, Middlesex HA6 2RN, United Kingdom; 2Paul Strickland
Scanner Centre, Mount Vernon Hospital, Northwood, Middlesex HA6 2RN, United
Kingdom; 3CRUK-EPSRC Cancer Imaging Centre, Institute of Cancer
Research & Royal Marsden Hospital, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5PT, United Kingdom
Triple negative breast carcinomas (TNBC) are oestrogen (ER), progesterone (PR) and HER2 receptor negative, with evidence suggesting that they are a distinct biological entity with aggressive features and limited treatment options. DCE-MRI characteristics of these tumours were compared to a more favourable prognostic group, ER PRﱱ breast cancers. The increased cellularity and scant stromal content of TNBC was reflected by lower values for ve, a parameter describing the extravascular extracellular space. Increased kep values consistent with the rapid return of contrast into the vasculature, suggest a higher capillary permeability in triple negative breast cancers.