Lee YJ, Kim SH, Kang BJ, Kim YJ. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound features as a potential biomarker for the prediction of breast cancer recurrence.
ULTRASCHALL IN DER MEDIZIN (STUTTGART, GERMANY : 1980) 2024. [PMID:
38802093 DOI:
10.1055/a-2333-7589]
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Abstract
PURPOSE
To investigate the associations between contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging features and disease recurrence among patients with locally advanced breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
In the study, pre- and post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy contrast-enhanced ultrasound images of 43 patients with breast cancer were retrospectively analysed. Post-acquisition image processing involved the placement of freehand-drawn regions of interest, followed by the generation of blood flow kinetics representing blood volume and velocity for these regions of interest. Qualitative and quantitative contrast-enhanced ultrasound parameters were compared to predict recurrence, and receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to evaluate predictive ability.
RESULTS
Among the 43 patients, 10 (23%) exhibited disease recurrence (median [range]: 27 [4-68] months). Post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy peak enhancement, wash-in area under the curve, wash-out area under the curve, and wash-in and wash-out area under the curve (p=0.003, p=0.004, p=0.026, and p=0.014, respectively) differed between the no-recurrence and recurrence groups. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (0.88; 95% confidence interval: 0.75-1.00) for post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy peak enhancement was the highest among the contrast-enhanced ultrasound parameters, with a cut-off of 13.33 arbitrary units.
CONCLUSION
Higher peak enhancement on post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy contrast-enhanced ultrasound images was associated with recurrence in women with locally advanced breast cancer and is a potential biomarker of tumor recurrence.
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