Clinical Focus

• Breast Cancer
• Breast Cancer - Diagnostic Imaging
• Diagnostic Radiology
• Radiology

Administrative Appointments

• Director, Stanford University Breast Imaging section (1992 - present)

Honors and Awards

• Teacher of the Year, Stanford Radiology (1997)

Professional Education

Postdoctoral Advisees

Stephanie Van de Ven

Graduate & Fellowship Program Affiliations

• Radiology

Community and International Work

• International Working Group on Breast MRI, American College of Radiology 

Current Research Interests

Our clinical and research interests are dedicated to improving the health and lives of women by breast cancer detection and diagnosis using imaging, in both development and testing of new imaging techniques, and transfer of new technology to the clinical arena.

I have been Director of the Stanford Breast Imaging Section since 1992. Our research program has produced publications in imaging with analog mammography, digital mammography, computer-aided detection, breast ultrasound,breast cancer sceening, high-resolution and dynamic contrast-enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) , MRI-guided breast biopsy, MR spectroscopy, fine-needle aspiration cytology, stereotactic large core needle biopsy, sentinel lymph node biopsy, percutaneous tumor ablation including radiofrequency and other devices, outcomes, compliance and imaging of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Continuing research involves diagnosis with MRI and MRI-guided biopsy, as well as new pulse sequence development. New research involves imaging of Asian women, evaluation of breast density, imaging of accellerated partial breast irradiation, whole breast ultrasound and digital mammograpy with CAD. Future plans include optical imaging with an intent to incorporate molecular imaging techniques developed at the Clark Center into our breast cancer research.

The are many reasons that the Stanford Breast Imaging research program is successful. Stanford provides the optimum location in Silcon Valley for developing, researching and implementing new technology and transferring that technology to the clinical arena in our busy all-digital Breast Cancer Center which opened in 2004. Working with world-class basic science researchers, engineers,chemists and physicists at the Lucas Center for Magnetic Resonance Spectrocopy and Imaging (under the direction of Dr. Gary Glover) and at the Clark Center/ Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (under the the direction of Dr. Sanjiv Gamghir), the Stanford Breast Imaging service provides state-of-the-art imaging with access to the latest technologies and imaging modalities developed at these research labs. Specifically, both the Lucas Center (which now houses a cyclotron and wet lab) and the Clark Center are located within a block from the Medical Center and from each other. In addition, a Stanford Radiology Outcomes Section evaluates the impact of these new technologies on breast cancer patients. Thus, breast cancer imaging research is supported by a uniquely qualified team of Stanford Radiology Engineering, Physics and Medical faculty, postdoctoral candidates and graduate students from around the world. We have demonstrated the effectiveness of this team by our development, transfer and publication of MRI techniques to breast cancer imaging.

The Stanford Breast Imaging service has state-of-the-art imaging equipment to provide imaging research material, including all digital mammography units with CAD, PACS to correlate ultrasound, MRI and PET/CT images and a hosptial-wide patient computer information system. Research stems from clinical questions generated at the Breast Center, clinical dilmmas encountered during everyday practice, and implemenation oft new techniques generated at Stanford and in Silicon Valley to improve women's health.

Stanford is one of few USA Centers routinely using MRI-guided needle localization and vacuum assisted breast core biopsy; we do over 1000 diagnostic breast MRI studies/year. The Section also puts on outstanding post-grad courses for radiologists to learn MRI diganosis/biopsy, and digital mammography; each course is attended by over 400 participants. The critical mass of scientists, engineers and clinicians at Stanford provides a unique opportunity and platform to bring new diagnostic tools and detection methods to investigate both fundementals and clinical concerns in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, and to teach those new methods to the general radiologist.

Clinical Trials

• Adjunctive Efficacy Study Of The SoftScan® Optical Breast Imaging System Suspended
• Breast Density and the Role of Preoperative Mammography, Ultrasound, Elastography and MRI Terminated
• Survey of Optical Measures of Breast Tissue in the Clinic Completed
• Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation Following Lumpectomy for Breast Cancer No longer recruiting
• Pilot Photoacoustic Imaging (PAI) of Suspicious Breast Cancers - A Clinical Feasibility Study Not yet recruiting

Publications

• Molecular imaging using light-absorbing imaging agents and a clinical optical breast imaging system--a phantom study. van de Ven SM, Mincu N, Brunette J, Ma G, Khayat M, Ikeda DM, Gambhir SS. Mol Imaging Biol. 2011; 13 (2): 232-8
• Freehand MRI-guided preoperative needle localization of breast lesions after MRI-guided vacuum-assisted core needle biopsy without marker placement. van de Ven SM, Lin MC, Daniel BL, Sareen P, Lipson JA, Pal S, Dirbas FM, Ikeda DM. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2010; 32 (1): 101-9
• The ACR BI-RADS experience: learning from history. Burnside ES, Sickles EA, Bassett LW, Rubin DL, Lee CH, Ikeda DM, Mendelson EB, Wilcox PA, Butler PF, D''Orsi CJ. J Am Coll Radiol. 2009; 6 (12): 851-60
• MRI and (1)H MRS of the breast: presence of a choline peak as malignancy marker is related to K21 value of the tumor in patients with invasive ductal carcinoma. Geraghty PR, van den Bosch MA, Spielman DM, Hunjan S, Birdwell RL, Fong KJ, Stables LA, Zakhour M, Herfkens RJ, Ikeda DM. Breast J. 2008 Nov-Dec; 14 (6): 574-80
• Mammographic screening in women at increased risk of breast cancer after treatment of Hodgkin's disease. Kwong A, Hancock SL, Bloom JR, Pal S, Birdwell RL, Mariscal C, Ikeda DM. Breast J. 2008 Jan-Feb; 14 (1): 39-48