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Updated: Jan 8, 2026
Ultrasonographic Evaluation of Breast Cancer-related Lymphedema
Published on: January 12, 2017
Glandular Tissue Component on Breast Ultrasound: Association with Survival Outcomes in Women with Invasive Breast
Ting-Ting Deng1, Cui-Ju Yan1, Qing-Guang Lin1
1Department of Ultrasound, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng East Road, Guangzhou 510060, P.R. China (T.T.D., C.J.Y., Q.G.L., J.J.O., L.X.Z., X.L.).
Rationale And Objectives:
Glandular tissue component (GTC) on screening breast ultrasound (US) is associated with breast cancer risk. However, the impact of GTC on survival outcomes in patients with invasive breast cancer remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the association between GTC on preoperative breast US and survival outcomes in women with invasive breast cancer.
Materials And Methods:
This retrospective study included 2889 patients with invasive breast cancer who underwent preoperative breast US between January 2013 and December 2018. GTC was qualitatively assessed on US and categorized as low (minimal or mild) or high (moderate or marked). Associations of GTC with disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated using Cox proportional hazards regression model. Subgroup analyses were conducted based on menopausal status and molecular subtype.
Results:
Of the 2889 patients, 966 (33.4%) had high GTC and 1923 (66.6%) had low GTC. In the overall cohort, high GTC was associated with worse DFS (hazard ratio [HR], 1.42 [95% CI: 1.17, 1.71]; P < .001), but not associated with OS (HR, 1.02 [95% CI: 0.81, 1.30]; P = .847). In the postmenopausal group, high GTC was associated with worse OS and DFS (HR, 1.68 [95% CI: 1.15, 2.46], P = .007; DFS: HR, 1.43 [95% CI: 1.05, 1.95], P = .022). In triple-negative breast cancers, high GTC was associated with worse OS and DFS (OS: HR, 2.22 [95% CI: 1.28, 3.87], P = .005; DFS: HR, 1.61 [95% CI: 1.04, 2.51], P = .035).
Conclusion:
Glandular tissue component at preoperative breast US was independently associated with survival outcome in patients with invasive breast cancer. If further validated, this finding may help refine prognostic risk stratification in clinical practice.
