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Correlation analysis between shear-wave elastography and pathological profiles in breast cancer

  • Preclinical study
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Abstract

Purpose

To explore the correlation between shear-wave elastography (SWE) parameters and pathological profiles of invasive breast cancer.

Methods

A total of 197 invasive breast cancers undergoing preoperative SWE and primary surgical treatment were included. Maximum elastic modulus (Emax), mean elastic modulus (Emean), and elastic modulus standard deviation (Esd) were calculated by SWE. Pathological profile was gold standard according to postoperative pathology. The relationship between SWE parameters and pathological factors were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analysis.

Results

In univariate analysis, large cancers showed significantly higher Emax, Emean and Esd (all P < 0.001). Emax and Esd in the group of histological grade III were higher than those in the group of grade I (both P < 0.05). Invasive lobular carcinomas (ILC) showed higher Emean than invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) (P < 0.001). Lymphovascular invasion (LVI) group showed higher Emax values than negative group (P < 0.05). Emax, Emean and Esd of the Ki-67 positive group presented higher values than negative group (all P < 0.05). Androgen receptor (AR) positive lesions had lower Esd than AR negative lesions (P < 0.05). In multivariate analysis, invasive size independently influenced Emax (P < 0.001). Invasive size and pathological type both independently influenced Emean (both P < 0.001). Invasive size and AR status were both independently influenced Esd (both P < 0.05).

Conclusion

SWE parameters correlated with pathological profiles of invasive breast cancer.In particular, AR positive group showed significantly low Esd than negative group.

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Data availability

Enquiries about data availability should be directed to the authors.

Abbreviations

SWE:

Shear-wave elastography

Emax:

Maximum elastic modulus

Emean:

Mean elastic modulus

Esd:

Elastic modulus standard deviation

ILC:

Invasive lobular carcinomas

IDC:

Invasive ductal carcinoma

LVI:

Lymphovascular invasion

AR:

Androgen receptor

TNBC:

Triple negative breast cancer

FOV:

Field of view

ROI:

Regions of interest

TILs:

Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes

FISH:

Fluorescence in situ hybridization

ECM:

Extracellular matrix

AFM:

Atomic force microscopy

CSC:

Cancer stem-like cells

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Funding

This work was supported by a grant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China Grant No. 82172025. Author Hong Lu has received research support. And it was also funded by Tianjin Key Medical Discipline(Specialty) Construction Project（TJYXZDXK-012A).

Author information

Author notes

  1. Junnan Li and Bo Sun have contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Breast Imaging, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, China

    Junnan Li, Yanbo Li, Jiahui Wang, Ying Zhu & Hong Lu

  2. The Second Department of Breast Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, China

    Bo Sun

  3. Department of Bone and Tissue Oncology, Tianjin Hospital, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China

    Shuang Li

  4. Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, West Huan-Hu Rd, Ti Yuan Bei, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300060, People’s Republic of China

    Hong Lu

Authors
  1. Junnan Li
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Contributions

Conceptualization: HL, JL; Data curation: BS; Formal analysis: YL; Investigation: SL; Methodology: HL, JW; Project administration: YZ, HL; Resources: JL, BS; Supervision: YZ; Validation: YL; BS; Roles/Writing—original draft: JL, BS Writing—review and editing: JL, HL.

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Correspondence to Hong Lu.

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Li, J., Sun, B., Li, Y. et al. Correlation analysis between shear-wave elastography and pathological profiles in breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat 197, 269–276 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-022-06804-z

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