Correlation of molecular typing of breast cancer between quantitative indices of virtual touch tissue imaging quantification and ultrasonic image characteristics
Objective:To investigate the correlation between image features,quantitative indices of conventional two-dimensional ultrasound and Virtual Touch Tissue Imaging Quantification(VTIQ)with different molecular subtypes of breast cancer.Then this study further assesses the value of integrating VTIQ quantitative indices with two-dimensional ultrasound imaging types in predicting molecular subtypes of breast cancer.Methods:A total of 110 cases of female breast diseases(112 lesions)who received medical treatment at the department of breast surgery of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from January 2021 to February 2023 were included.Preoperative two-dimensional ultrasound and VTIQ examinations were performed,recording patient demographics and ultrasound image characteristics.Patients were divided into malignant and benign groups based on postoperative pathology,with molecular markers expression recorded,and subtyped according to immunohistochemical results.Using the benign and malignant breast lesions and molecular subtypes as dependent variables,receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were drawn to analyze the diagnostic efficacy of maximum shear wave velocity(SWVmax),minimum shear wave velocity(SWVmin),and mean shear wave velocity(SWVmean)parameters.Results:Statistical significance(P<0.05)was found for tumor margin,shape,hyperechoic halo,calcification,posterior echo,color Doppler flow imaging(CDFI)blood flow grading,VTIQ image type,and SWVmax,SWVmean,SWVmin in distinguishing between benign and malignant breast tumors.Among different molecular subtypes of breast cancer,Luminal A type was less likely to exhibit lymph node metastasis and calcification,with VTIQ images predominantly showing edge type and SWVmax and SWVmean significantly lower than non-Luminal types(P<0.05).Her-2 overexpression type was more prone to calcification compared to Luminal A type,with SWVmax significantly higher and SWVmin significantly lower than Luminal B type(P<0.05).Triple-negative breast cancer often showed increased posterior echo enhancement,with VTIQ images predominantly central type and SWVmin significantly lower than Luminal B type(P<0.05).The diagnostic efficacy of VTIQ quantitative parameters,VTIQ quantitative parameters combined with image types,and VTIQ quantitative parameters combined with image types and two-dimensional ultrasound image characteristics in identifying benign and malignant breast tumors and molecular subtypes of breast cancer progressively improved.Conclusion:Combining VTIQ technology with two-dimensional ultrasound improves diagnostic efficacy for distinguishing benign and malignant breast tumors and identifying molecular subtypes of breast cancer,offering new perspectives for non-invasive preoperative evaluation.
breast cancertwo-dimensional ultrasoundvirtual touch tissue imaging quantificationmolecular typing