The role of shear wave elastography in determining molecular subtypes in breast cancer

• Published in: Demiroglu Science University Florence Nightingale Journal of Medicine Vol. 7; no. 2; pp. 146 - 154
• Main Authors: Ağacayak, Filiz, Özdil, Güzide, İlgün, Serkan, Mammadov, Tural, Elbüken, Filiz, Alço, Gül, Erdogan, Zeynep, İzci, Filiz, Öztürk, Alper, Nur Pilancı, Kezban, Ordu, Çetin, Duymaz, Tomris, Aktepe, Fatma, Özmen, Vahit
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.08.2021
• ISSN: 2717-7300; 2717-6630
• DOI: 10.5606/fng.btd.2021.49

Objectives: This study aimed to measure with shear wave elastography (SWE) the stiffness degree, which is a phenotypic reflection of the tumor in patients with breast cancer, and to manifest how the measured value relates to prognostic factors and molecular subtypes. Materials and methods: This study included 99 female patients (mean age 48 years; range 29 to 78 years) diagnosed with breast cancer, underwent SWE, and received treatment at the Breast Health Center of Istanbul Florence Nightingale Hospital between January 2014 and March 2016. Those excluded were the patients who previously had an operation on the same breast or axillary fossa, who had noninvasive breast cancer, and who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Results: A positively significant correlation was determined between the tumor diameter and the elastography value (p=0.001, r=0.32). There was no significant difference between elastography values of the tumors and histological type, intraductal component presence, histological grade, lymphovascular invasion, lymph node metastasis, Ki67 value, hormone receptor status, and molecular subtype. Conclusion: In our study, it was shown that there was a positive correlation between elastography values and tumor size. No significant relationship was found between elastography values and other parameters. However, further studies with larger series may provide additional significant links.