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Elastographic features of triple negative breast cancers

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Abstract

Objectives

To evaluate shear-wave elastographic (SWE) features of triple negative breast cancers (TNBC) and determine useful discriminators from other types of invasive breast cancers.

Methods

SWE features of 26 TNBC were reviewed and compared to 32 non-TNBC. Qualitative SWE features of lesion colour appearance, shape and homogeneity were analysed. Quantitative features were measured: mean (El mean), maximum (El max) and minimum (El min) elasticity value of the stiffest portion of the mass, mean elasticity of the surrounding tissue (El mean surr) and lesion to fat elasticity ratio (E ratio).

Results

TNBC are more often regularly shaped (57.7 % vs. 6.2 %), while non-TNBC are more commonly red (93.7 % vs 42.3 %) and heterogeneous (68.7 % vs 42.3 %). The stiffness of TNBC is significantly lower compared to non-TNBC. The two groups could be distinguished on the basis of El max (p = 0.001), El mean (p = 0.001), El min (p = 0.001) and E ratio (p = 0.0017). Lesion to fat elasticity ratio in TNBC group was statistically significantly lower than in the non-TNBC control group (p = 0.009).

Conclusions

TNBC often demonstrate benign morphological features, are softer on SWE and have a lower lesion to fat stiffness ratio compared to the other, more common types of invasive breast cancers.

Key Points

• TNBC often demonstrate benign morphological features on SWE.

• TNBC present on elastography mostly as red, regularly shaped, heterogeneous lesions.

• TNBC are less stiff compared to other invasive breast cancers.

• TNBC have lower lesion to fat stiffness ratio than other breast cancers.

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Abbreviations

AUC:

Area under curve

BBC:

Basal-like breast cancer

CI:

Confidence interval

El mean:

Mean elasticity value

El max:

Maximum elasticity value

El min:

Minimum elasticity value

El mean surr:

Mean elasticity value of surrounding tissue

E ratio:

Lesion to fat elasticity ratio

ER:

Oestrogen receptor

HR+:

Hormone receptor positive

HR−:

Hormone receptor negative

HER2:

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2

kPa:

Kilopascals

MRI:

Magnetic resonance imaging

PR:

Progesterone receptor

SWE:

Shear-wave elastography

ROC:

Receiver operating characteristic

TNBC:

Triple negative breast cancers

TN:

Triple negative

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Acknowledgments

The scientific guarantor of this publication is Boris Brkljacic. The authors of this manuscript declare no relationships with any companies whose products or services may be related to the subject matter of the article. The authors state that this work has not received any funding. One of the authors has significant statistical expertise. Institutional review board approval was obtained. Written informed consent was waived by the institutional review board. Some study subjects have been previously reported and were presented as a poster at ECR 2014. Methodology: retrospective, cross-sectional study, performed at one institution.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, General Hospital Orašje, III ulica bb, Orašje, Bosnia and Herzegovina

    Martina Džoić Dominković

  2. Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital “Dubrava”, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Avenija Gojka Šuška 6, Zagreb, Croatia

    Martina Džoić Dominković, Gordana Ivanac & Boris Brkljačić

  3. Department of Physiology and Immunology, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia

    Tomislav Kelava

  4. Laboratory for Molecular Immunology, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Salata 3, Zagreb, Croatia

    Tomislav Kelava

Authors
  1. Martina Džoić Dominković
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  2. Gordana Ivanac
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  3. Tomislav Kelava
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  4. Boris Brkljačić
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Correspondence to Martina Džoić Dominković.

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Džoić Dominković, M., Ivanac, G., Kelava, T. et al. Elastographic features of triple negative breast cancers. Eur Radiol 26, 1090–1097 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-015-3925-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-015-3925-7

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