Arch Surg Chicago
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Dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a reliable and accurate method for monitoring primary tumor response in the breast and can be used as a surrogate to predict final axillary nodal status. ⋯ The results of DCE-MRI of the primary tumor can be predictive of axillary nodal status, especially in patients receiving trastuzumab who are HER2/neu positive. The HER2/neu-positive patients with a complete clinical response on DCE-MRI are highly unlikely to benefit from an axillary lymph node dissection. For HER2/neu-negative patients, sentinel lymph node sampling is warranted.