Gradient-Echo Spectroscopic Imaging Study of Saturated Fat and Breast Cancer

February 10, 2026 updated by: NYU Langone Health
The role of fat in breast cancer development and growth has been studied extensively using body mass index, a measure of whole body fatness, and dietary fat intake in a number of epidemiological studies. However, there is a paucity of studies, on an individual level, to assess the role of breast fat itself in breast cancer due to lack of a non-invasive and fast measurement method. Since breast fibroglandular cells are surrounded by breast fat cells, the characteristics of breast fat may have a stronger relationship with breast cancer development, as supported by recent studies showing that a majority of breast cancer develops at the interface between fibroglandular tissue and adipose tissue. However, it is not trivial to study the role of breast fat, mainly due to the lack of a non-invasive and fast measurement method sensitive enough to important features of breast fat, such as types of fat.Recently, we have developed a rapid MRI method, referred to as Gradient-echo Spectroscopic Imaging (GSI), to measure fatty acid composition during clinical breast MRI exams. GSI can provide map of saturated fat and unsaturated fats in the breast adipose tissue without performing tissue biopsy. Our pilot study found that the postmenopausal women with aggressive breast cancer, known as invasive ductal carcinoma, have a significantly higher percentage of saturated fat in their breast adipose tissue than the postmenopausal women with only benign lesions.

Study Overview

Status

Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The overarching goal of this study is to determine the role of saturated fatty acid in breast cancer development and growth. In this proposal, GSI will be used for non-invasive in vivo measurement of saturated fat in the breast adipose tissue of postmenopausal women who undergo diagnostic breast MRI exams (Aims 1 and 2) or MRI-guided biopsy scans (Aim 3). The central hypotheses is that (i) the breast saturated fatty acid fraction measured by GSI is associated with the presence of malignant lesions in the breast and (ii) the breast saturated fatty acid fraction correlates positively with inflammation in the breast adipose tissue that may lead to increase in estrogen production in adipocytes.The proposed study will evaluate whether breast saturated fat is an independent risk factor for breast cancer, and whether it can provide additional diagnostic information to current clinical diagnostic exams. In addition, the proposed imaging measure of breast saturated fat can be used to assess the efficacy of any intervention to reduce cancer-related inflammation in the breast adipose tissue and to investigate the possible role of fatty acid composition in prevention and clinical management of breast cancer.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

190

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • New York
      • New York, New York, United States, 10016
        • NYU Langone Health

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

25 years to 99 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • No contraindications to MRI scanning (pacemaker, implanted metallic objects, severe obesity or other condition that leads to difficulty lying in the magnet)
  • No contraindication to gadolinium contrast agent (severe renal insufficiency (EGFR<30), allergy to gadolinium) which will be injected for clinical exam
  • Able and willing to provide informed consent
  • Post-menopausal age > 25 years.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Contra-indication to MRI or gadolinium contrast agent (have a pacemaker, aneurysm clip, or other metallic implant; weigh >135 kg; or have renal impairment)
  • Breast surgery within prior 12 months, or breast implants
  • Any hormonal therapy

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Diagnostic
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Breast cancer confirmed by biopsy
Cases will be women first diagnosed with invasive breast cancer confirmed by biopsy
Diagnostic test: Diagnostic Breast Cancer Scan
clinically indicated diagnostic breast MRI scans
Diagnostic test: Research Scan for Gradient-echo Spectroscopic Imaging (GSI)
15-min research MRI scan
Other Names:
  • Gradient-echo Spectroscopic Imaging
Active Comparator: Women without any history of breast cancer
No known malignancy confirmed by at least 1-year follow up exams.
Diagnostic test: Diagnostic Breast Cancer Scan
clinically indicated diagnostic breast MRI scans
Diagnostic test: Research Scan for Gradient-echo Spectroscopic Imaging (GSI)
15-min research MRI scan
Other Names:
  • Gradient-echo Spectroscopic Imaging

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
To compare GSI-measured breast SFA fraction between women with malignant and benign lesions.
Time Frame: 5 Years
5 Years

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

NYU Langone Health

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Linda Moy, MD, NYU Langone Health

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

July 23, 2018

Primary Completion (Estimated)

April 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

April 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 9, 2018

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 16, 2018

First Posted (Actual)

January 17, 2018

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

February 13, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 10, 2026

Last Verified

February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 17-01549

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

Yes

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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