Evaluation of Gadolinium Deposits in Healthy Women Participating in a High Risk Screening Program for Early Breast Cancer Detection

Evaluation of Gadolinium Deposits in Healthy Women Participating in a High Risk Screening Program for Early Breast Cancer Detection

Purpose: To determine whether patients at high risk to develop breast cancer having received at least 6 cumulative dosages of macrocyclic Gd-based contrast media in the context of breast cancer screening by means of contrast-enhanced MRI.

Methods: Diagnostic study encompassing two arms: first, 50 patients having received ≥6 dosages of macrocyclic Gd-based contrast media in the course of MRI-based breast cancer screening will undergo brain MRI assessment for signal alterations due to Gd-deposits. The second arm consists of 50 healthy volunteers that never received Gd-based contrast agents, and undergoes the same brain MRI assessment as the patient-based arm 1 of the study. Signal intensities will be compared to assess the potential presence or absence of macrocyclic Gd-based contrast agent deposits in the brain.

In case of presence of signal alterations in arm 1 these will be further stratified by number of previously administered macrocyclic Gd-contrast agent doses.

Projected outcome: High cumulative dosages of macrocyclic Gd-based contrast agent either result or do not result in brain MRI signal alterations in healthy women participating in a high-risk screening program for the early detection of breast cancer that necessitates Gd-contrast agent enhanced breast MRI at regular intervals.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Female; cumulative exposure to ≥6 dosages of macrocyclic Gd-based agents in the course of breast MRI screening for breast cancer OR no exposure to Gd-based contrast media

Exclusion Criteria:

• Previous chemotherapy; serious illness including cardiovascular and neurological diseases; contraindications to MRI; exposure to non-macrocyclic Gd-based contrast agents