Initial evaluation of breast MRI protocols for cancer treatment monitoring at low field 0.55 T

Motivation: With increasing availability and technical advances of low field 0.55T MRI systems, it is important to understand their value for breast applications. Goal(s): To present preliminary data of breast MRI at 0.55T with a newly available dedicated 7-channel prone breast coil. Approach: Breast MRI at 0.55T and 3T with NIST-calibrated breast phantom and two healthy female volunteers using protocols that are clinically relevant for breast cancer treatment monitoring. Results: Preliminary 0.55T breast MRI data has been successfully generated with acceptable image quality and will initiate future studies with breast cancer patients to advance breast MRI with low field systems. Impact: This first acquisition of breast phantom and healthy volunteer data using sequences relevant in breast cancer treatment monitoring (T1-weighted, T2-weighted, diffusion-weighted) will initiate further, more detailed studies to explore the value of low field MRI for examining the breast.