Fig. 3

Benefit of vascular analysis for predictive/prognostic breast magnetic resonance imaging. In A, B, and C, the enhancement patterns of three different breast cancers are colour coded on a pixel-by-pixel basis (green/yellow/red = persistent/plateau/washout). The maps reveal tumour heterogeneity, progressively increasing from A to C (no washout pixels in A, few of them in B, and many in C). Findings correspond to an increasing risk profile which was verified upon pathological and molecular analysis. Here, increasing vascularisation (CD 31 staining top row), cellular proliferation (Ki-67), and aggressiveness (grading) was demonstrated, and a less favourable receptor profile was evident from A to C. ER Oestrogen, her2neu Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, PR Progesterone