Abstract
Background
Breast angiosarcoma may arise spontaneously (primary breast angiosarcoma (PBA)) or
may arise secondary to a biological insult, such as radiation therapy (secondary breast
angiosarcoma (SBA)). We evaluated the imaging findings of patients diagnosed with
PBA and SBA within the province of British Columbia, Canada.
Materials and Methods
This was a multi-center, retrospective study of patients diagnosed with PBA and SBA
over a 25-year period. Patients were identified via a provincial database which registers
all cases of sarcoma. Patients diagnosed with histologically proven PBA and SBA were
eligible for inclusion. Multimodal breast imaging reviewed included mammography, ultrasound,
magnetic resonance imaging, and computed tomography.
Results
Thirteen patients were diagnosed with PBA and 22 patients were diagnosed with SBA.
The median (interquartile range (IQR)) age of patients diagnosed with PBA (45.5 years
(19.7 years)) was less than that of patients diagnosed with SBA (75.8 years (13.8
years), P < .001). Patients diagnosed with PBA (90.9%) were more likely to present with a parenchymal
mass clinically and radiographically than those with SBA (28.6%, P < .002). Patients diagnosed with SBA (71.4%) were more likely to present with cutaneous
findings than patients diagnosed with PBA (0.0%, P < .05). Without specific clinical context, the imaging findings of PBA and SBA were observed
to be non-specific.
Conclusion
This is the only study which evaluated the imaging findings of patients diagnosed
with PBA and SBA within a large, defined geographical area. Given non-specific imaging
findings, awareness of the disease and clear and timely communication between radiologists
and clinicians is required to ensure appropriate diagnosis and management.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: November 16, 2022
Accepted:
November 12,
2022
Received in revised form:
November 1,
2022
Received:
June 4,
2022
Footnotes
Institutional Address: BC Cancer Vancouver Department of Radiology, 600 W 10th Ave, Vancouver BC V5Z 4E6
Data Statement: All data generated or analyzed during the study are included in the published paper
Submissions: Portions of this work have been presented at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) Annual Meeting as an Educational/Pictorial Exhibit
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