Monitoring Breast Cancer Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Using Probability Maps Derived from Quantitative Ultrasound Parametric Images.

Objective: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is widely used in the treatment of breast cancer. However, to date, there are no fully reliable, non-invasive methods for monitoring NAC. In this article, we propose a new method for classifying NAC-responsive and unresponsive tumors using quantitative ultrasound.

Assessment of breast cancer response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy based on ultrasound backscattering envelope statistics.

Purpose: Neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is used in breast cancer before tumor surgery to reduce the size of the tumor and the risk of spreading. Monitoring the effects of NAC is important because in a number of cases the response to therapy is poor and requires a change in treatment. A new method that uses quantitative ultrasound to assess tumor response to NAC has been presented.

Quantitative Assessment of the Echogenicity of a Breast Tumor Predicts the Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy.

The aim of the study was to improve monitoring the treatment response in breast cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). The IRB approved this prospective study. Ultrasound examinations were performed prior to treatment and 7 days after four consecutive NAC cycles.

Aortic root movement correlation with the function of the left ventricle.

Echocardiographic assessment of systolic and diastolic function of the heart is often limited by image quality. However, the aortic root is well visualized in most patients. We hypothesize that the aortic root motion may correlate with the systolic and diastolic function of the left ventricle of the heart.

Monitoring the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer using ultrasound scattering coefficient: A preliminary report.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy was initially used in locally advanced breast cancer, and currently it is recommended for patients with Stage 3 and with early-stage disease with human epidermal growth factor receptors positive or triple-negative breast cancer. Ultrasound imaging in combination with a quantitative ultrasound method is a novel diagnostic approach. The aim of this study was to analyze the variability of the integrated backscatter coefficient, and to evaluate their use to predict the effectiveness of treatment and compare to ultrasound examination results.

Breast-lesions characterization using Quantitative Ultrasound features of peritumoral tissue.

The presented studies evaluate for the first time the efficiency of tumour classification based on the quantitative analysis of ultrasound data originating from the tissue surrounding the tumour. 116 patients took part in the study after qualifying for biopsy due to suspicious breast changes. The RF signals collected from the tumour and tumour-surroundings were processed to determine quantitative measures consisting of Nakagami distribution shape parameter, entropy, and texture parameters.

Monitoring breast cancer response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy with ultrasound signal statistics and integrated backscatter.

Background: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is used in patients with breast cancer to reduce tumor focus, metastatic risk, and patient mortality. Monitoring NAC effects is necessary to capture resistant patients and stop or change treatment. The existing methods for evaluating NAC results have some limitations.

Determining temperature distribution in tissue in the focal plane of the high (>100 W/cm(2)) intensity focused ultrasound beam using phase shift of ultrasound echoes.

In therapeutic applications of High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) the guidance of the HIFU beam and especially its focal plane is of crucial importance. This guidance is needed to appropriately target the focal plane and hence the whole focal volume inside the tumor tissue prior to thermo-ablative treatment and beginning of tissue necrosis. This is currently done using Magnetic Resonance Imaging that is relatively expensive.