Evaluating Breast Cancer Biomarkers Using Contrast-enhanced Ultrasound and Shear Wave Elastography.

Area of Science:

• Radiology and Imaging
• Oncology
• Biomarkers

Background:

• Breast cancer diagnosis and prognosis rely on invasive methods.
• Quantitative imaging biomarkers offer potential for non-invasive assessment.
• Shear wave elastography (SWE) and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) provide tissue elasticity and perfusion data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the correlation between SWE and CEUS quantitative parameters and biological prognostic markers in breast cancer.
• To assess the utility of SWE and CEUS in characterizing breast cancer tissue non-invasively.
• To explore the potential of these imaging modalities in supporting molecular subtyping and clinical evaluation.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study involving 68 breast cancer patients and 68 healthy controls.
• All participants underwent SWE and CEUS imaging.
• Immunohistochemistry was used to analyze estrogen receptor (ER), HER2, and Ki-67 expression in tumor tissues.

Main Results:

• Breast cancer tissue showed distinct elastic and perfusion characteristics compared to normal tissue.
• Significant differences observed in Emean, Emax, Emin, peak intensity, and mean transit time (MTT) between cancer and normal tissue.
• Ki-67, ER, and HER2 expression levels correlated significantly with SWE and CEUS parameters.

Conclusions:

• SWE and CEUS parameters can non-invasively reflect biological prognostic markers in breast cancer.
• These imaging techniques provide complementary information for molecular characterization.
• SWE and CEUS show promise as valuable tools in the clinical evaluation and management of breast cancer.