Multimodality Imaging for Evaluating Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer

Prediction of pathological complete response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer: comparison of diagnostic performances of dedicated breast PET, whole-body PET, and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI

PURPOSE

To compare the diagnostic performance of ring-type dedicated breast PET (dbPET), whole-body PET (WBPET), and DCE-MRI for predicting pathological complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC).

METHODS

This prospective study included 29 women with histologically proven breast cancer on needle biopsy between July 2016 and July 2019 (age: mean 55 years; range 35-78). Patients underwent WBPET followed by ring-type dbPET and DCE-MRI pre- and post-NAC for preoperative evaluation. pCR was defined as an invasive tumor that disappeared in the breast. Standardized uptake values corrected for lean body mass (SULpeak) were calculated for dbPET and WBPET scans. Maximum tumor length was measured in DCE-MRI images. Reduction rates were calculated for quantitative evaluation. Two radiologists independently evaluated the qualitative findings. Reduction rates and qualitative findings were compared between the pCR (n = 7) and non-pCR (n = 22) groups for each modality. Differences in quantitative and qualitative data between the two groups were analyzed statistically.

RESULTS

Significant differences were observed in the reduction rates of dbPET and DCE-MRI (P = 0.01 and 0.03, respectively) between the two groups. Univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that SULpeak reduction rates in WBPET and dbPET (P = 0.02 and P = 0.01, respectively) and in dbPET (odds ratio, 16.00; 95% CI 1.57-162.10; P = 0.01) were significant indicators associated with pCR, respectively. No between-group differences were observed in qualitative findings in the three modalities.

CONCLUSION

SULpeak reduction rate of dbPET > 82% was an independent indicator associated with pCR after NAC in breast cancer.

Breast conservation and axillary management after primary systemic therapy in patients with early-stage breast cancer: the Lucerne toolbox

Primary systemic therapy is increasingly used in the treatment of patients with early-stage breast cancer, but few guidelines specifically address optimal locoregional therapies. Therefore, we established an international consortium to discuss clinical evidence and to provide expert advice on technical management of patients with early-stage breast cancer. The steering committee prepared six working packages to address all major clinical questions from diagnosis to surgery. During a consensus meeting that included members from European scientific oncology societies, clinical trial groups, and patient advocates, statements were discussed and voted on. A consensus was reached in 42% of statements, a majority in 38%, and no decision in 21%. Based on these findings, the panel developed clinical guidance recommendations and a toolbox to overcome many clinical and technical requirements associated with the diagnosis, response assessment, surgical planning, and surgery of patients with early-stage breast cancer. This guidance could convince clinicians and patients of the major clinical advancements purported by primary systemic therapy, the use of less extensive and more targeted surgery to improve the lives of patients with breast cancer.

Molecular Subtypes of Breast Cancer: A Review for Breast Radiologists

Gene expression profiling has reshaped our understanding of breast cancer by identifying four molecular subtypes: (1) luminal A, (2) luminal B, (3) human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-enriched, and (4) basal-like, which have critical differences in incidence, response to treatment, disease progression, survival, and imaging features. Luminal tumors are most common (60%-70%), characterized by estrogen receptor (ER) expression. Luminal A tumors have the best prognosis of all subtypes, whereas patients with luminal B tumors have significantly shorter overall and disease-free survival. Distinguishing between these tumors is important because luminal B tumors require more aggressive treatment. Both commonly present as irregular masses without associated calcifications at mammography; however, luminal B tumors more commonly demonstrate axillary involvement at diagnosis. HER2-enriched tumors are characterized by overexpression of the HER2 oncogene and low-to-absent ER expression. HER2+ disease carries a poor prognosis, but the development of anti-HER2 therapies has greatly improved outcomes for women with HER2+ breast cancer. HER2+ tumors most commonly present as spiculated masses with pleomorphic calcifications or as calcifications alone. Basal-like cancers (15% of all invasive breast cancers) predominate among "triple negative" cancers, which lack ER, progesterone receptor (PR), and HER2 expression. Basal-like cancers are frequently high-grade, large at diagnosis, with high rates of recurrence. Although imaging commonly reveals irregular masses with ill-defined or spiculated margins, some circumscribed basal-like tumors can be mistaken for benign lesions. Incorporating biomarker data (histologic grade, ER/PR/HER2 status, and multigene assays) into classic anatomic tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) staging can better inform clinical management of this heterogeneous disease.

Frequency and Outcomes of New Suspicious Lesions on Breast MRI in the Setting of Neoadjuvant Therapy

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article was to determine the frequency and outcomes of new suspicious findings on breast MRI after initiation of neoadjuvant therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS. A retrospective database review identified all breast MRI examinations performed to assess response to neoadjuvant therapy between 2010 and 2018. Cases with new suspicious lesions assessed as BI-RADS 4 or 5 and found after the initiation of neoadjuvant treatment were included. Cases with no pretreatment MRI, cases in which the suspicious lesion was present on the baseline MRI but remained suspicious, and cases with insufficient follow-up were excluded. Radiologic, pathologic, and surgical reports were reviewed. Malignant outcomes were determined by pathologic examination. Benignity was established by pathologic examination, follow-up imaging, or both. A total of 419 breast MRI examinations in 297 women were performed to assess response to neoadjuvant therapy. After exclusions, 23 MRI examinations (5.5%) with new suspicious findings, all assessed as BI-RADS 4, comprised the final cohort. RESULTS. Of the 23 lesions, 13 new suspicious findings (56.5%) were contralateral to the known malignancy, nine (39.1%) were ipsilateral, and one (4.3%) involved the bilateral breasts. Lesion types included mass (16, 69.6%), nonmass enhancement (5, 21.7%) and focus (2, 8.7%). None of the new suspicious findings were malignant. CONCLUSION. New suspicious findings occurred in 5.5% of breast MRI examinations performed to monitor response to neoadjuvant therapy, and none of these new lesions were malignant. Our findings suggest that new lesions that arise in the setting of neoadjuvant therapy are highly unlikely to represent a new site of malignancy, particularly if the index malignancy shows treatment response. Larger studies are needed to confirm whether biopsy may be safely averted in this scenario.

Eliminating the breast cancer surgery paradigm after neoadjuvant systemic therapy: current evidence and future challenges

In patients with operable early breast cancer, neoadjuvant systemic treatment (NST) is a standard approach. Indications have expanded from downstaging of locally advanced breast cancer to facilitate breast conservation, to in vivo drug-sensitivity testing. The pattern of response to NST is used to tailor systemic and locoregional treatment, that is, to escalate treatment in nonresponders and de-escalate treatment in responders. Here we discuss four questions that guide our current thinking about 'response-adjusted' surgery of the breast after NST. (i) What critical diagnostic outcome measures should be used when analyzing diagnostic tools to identify patients with pathologic complete response (pCR) after NST? (ii) How can we assess response with the least morbidity and best accuracy possible? (iii) What oncological consequences may ensue if we rely on a nonsurgical-generated diagnosis of, for example, minimally invasive biopsy proven pCR, knowing that we may miss minimal residual disease in some cases? (iv) How should we design clinical trials on de-escalation of surgical treatment after NST?

Evaluation of Post-Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Pathologic Complete Response and Residual Tumor Size of Breast Cancer: Analysis on Accuracy of MRI and Affecting Factors

목적

신보강화학요법을 시행한 유방암 환자에서 병리학적 관해와 잔류 암의 크기를 평가하는 데 있어 유방자기공명영상의 정확도를 분석하고 이에 영향을 미치는 인자들이 무엇인지 알아본다.

대상과 방법

2010년부터 2017년까지 본원에서 신보강화학요법 후 수술을 시행한 88명의 유방암 환자를 대상으로 하였다. 병리학적 관해는 수술 병리 결과에서 침윤성 유방암이 발견되지 않는 것으로 정의하였고 자기공명영상과 병리 조직의 잔류 암 크기 차이는 최대 직경으로 비교하였다. 병리학적 관해 및 자기공명영상과 병리 조직에서의 잔류 암 크기 차이에 영향을 미치는 인자를 알아보기 위해 통계분석을 시행하였다.

결과

전체 환자의 10%가 병리학적 관해에 도달하였다. 자기공명영상으로 관해를 예측할 때의 정확도와 곡선하부면적은 각각 90.91%, 0.8017이었다. 신보강화학요법 시행 후 유방자기공명영상과 병리 조직에서 측정한 잔류 암의 크기는 매우 강한 연관성을 보였고(r = 0.9, p < 0.001), 특히 영상에서 단일 종괴로 보였던 병변에서(p = 0.047) 그러하였다. 자기공명영상과 병리 조직 간의 잔류 암 크기는 내강형(p = 0.023), 그리고 자기공명영상에서 다초점 종괴 및 비종괴성 조영증강을 보인(p = 0.047) 환자군에서 유의미하게 큰 차이를 보였다.

결론

자기공명영상은 유방암의 병리학적 완전 관해와 잔류 암 크기의 평가에 있어서 정확도가 높은 검사이다. 유방암 아형과 병변의 영상의학적 소견이 자기공명영상의 정확도에 영향을 미친다.

Identification of breast cancer patients with pathologic complete response in the breast after neoadjuvant systemic treatment by an intelligent vacuum-assisted biopsy

BACKGROUND

Neoadjuvant systemic treatment elicits a pathologic complete response (pCR) in about 35% of women with breast cancer. In such cases, breast surgery may be considered overtreatment. We evaluated multivariate algorithms using patient, tumor, and vacuum-assisted biopsy (VAB) variables to identify patients with breast pCR.

METHODS

We developed and tested four multivariate algorithms: a logistic regression with elastic net penalty, an Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) tree, Support Vector Machines (SVM), and neural network. We used data from 457 women, randomly partitioned into training and test set (2:1), enrolled in three trials with stage 1-3 breast cancer, undergoing VAB before surgery. False-negative rate (FNR) and specificity were the main outcome measures. The best performing algorithm was validated in an independent fourth trial.

RESULTS

In the test set (n = 152), the logistic regression with elastic net penalty, XGboost tree, SVM, and neural network revealed an FNR of 1.2% (1 of 85 patients with missed residual cancer). Specificity of the logistic regression with elastic net penalty was 52.2% (35 of 67 women with surgically confirmed breast pCR identified), of the XGBoost tree 55.2% (37 of 67), of SVM 62.7% (42 of 67), and of the neural network 67.2% (45 of 67). External validation (n = 50) of the neural network showed an FNR of 0% (0 of 27) and a specificity of 65.2% (15 of 23). Area under the ROC curve for the neural network was 0.97 (95% CI, 0.94-1.00).

CONCLUSION

A multivariate algorithm can accurately select breast cancer patients without residual cancer after neoadjuvant treatment.

Defining radiologic complete response using a correlation of presurgical ultrasound and mammographic localization findings with pathological complete response following neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer

PURPOSE

Breast cancer affects a significant number of patients younger than 40 years in the Gulf and breast conservative treatment is highly preferred. Pathological complete response (pCR) following neoadjuvant chemotherapy is increasingly being observed with the new chemotherapy agents. Although MRI is more accurate in such evaluations, digital mammography and high-resolution ultrasound (US) which are less expensive may accurately predict pCR which is the focus of this study.

METHODS

A 6-year retrospective study of 93 breast cancer cases who had neoadjuvant chemotherapy and had presurgical radiological localization was carried out. Forty-five had US localization while 48 underwent mammographic localization when US failed to define any residual mass. Radiologic complete response (rCR) was defined as absence of mass with only postbiopsy clip overlying normal breast parenchyma pattern in US and in mammography (clip sign). Mass or abnormal parenchymal pattern was considered as residual tumor. The pathology reports of pCR or not with background changes were recorded.

RESULTS

Ultrasound localization correctly predicted 42 out of 43 pathologic masses with 98 % accuracy. Mammographic localization correctly predicted 40 out of 43 pCR with 93 % accuracy. The best responders were triple negative and HER2 positive hormone negative breast cancer.

CONCLUSION

The study defines radiologic complete response (rCR) as absence of a mass with the postbiopsy tissue marker overlying a normal-looking breast parenchyma in both ultrasound and mammographic evaluation. A correlation of 93 % was found with pCR. The few false negative cases were associated with overlying dense breast and possibly post treatment reaction. Allocation of a BI-RADS category for rCR is suggested.

The Diagnostic Performance of Minimally Invasive Biopsy in Predicting Breast Pathological Complete Response After Neoadjuvant Systemic Therapy in Breast Cancer: A Meta-Analysis

Background: Neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NST) is commonly used in patients with early stage breast cancer before definitive surgery. The standard diagnostic approach for pathologic complete response (pCR) of the breast is breast surgery and pathologic examination. In recent years, several trials investigated the predictive value of image-guided minimally invasive biopsy (MIB) for breast pCR after NST. This study conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of MIB.

Materials and Methods: We identified relevant research reports in online databases through February 2020. The Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2 (QUADAS-2) tool was used to evaluate the quality of included trials. We extracted relevant data and constructed a 2 × 2 contingency table to analyze the predictive accuracy of MIB for breast pCR. Subgroup analyses and meta-regressions were also performed to investigate potential causes of heterogeneity.

Results: Nine trials (with 1,030 breast cancer patients) were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of MIB were 0.72 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.61–0.81] and 0.99 (95% CI: 0.89–1.00), respectively. By combining relevant data, there were no significant differences in sensitivity or specificity among different molecular subtypes of breast cancer (P > 0.05). Subgroup analyses and meta-regressions implied that trials with responses not limited to clinical complete response (cCR) had a significantly higher accuracy of MIB than those with only cCR (RDOR: 7.65; 95% CI: 1.05–55.46; P = 0.046).

Conclusion: Current image-guided MIB methods are not accurate enough in terms of predicting breast pCR after NST. It is of utmost clinical importance to standardize the MIB procedure and incorporate other factors into the evaluation in order to improve the accuracy to an acceptable level.

Evaluation of the Efficacy of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is increasingly used in breast cancer, especially for downstaging the primary tumor in the breast and the metastatic axillary lymph node. Accurate evaluations of the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy provide important information on the impact of systemic therapies on breast cancer biology, prognosis, and guidance for further therapy. Moreover, pathologic complete response is a validated and valuable surrogate prognostic factor of survival after therapy. Evaluations of neoadjuvant chemotherapy response are very important in clinical work and basic research. In this review, we will elaborate on evaluations of the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer and provide a clinical evaluation procedure for neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Best MRI sequences for identifying axillary lymph node markers in patients with metastatic breast cancer: an inter-reader observational study

BACKGROUND

We assessed confidence in visualization of markers within metastatic axillary lymph nodes (LNs) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which were placed post-ultrasound (US)-guided biopsy.

METHODS

A retrospective review was performed on 55 MRI cases between May 2015 and October 2017. Twenty-two MRIs were performed before neoadjuvant therapy, and 33 MRIs were after its initiation. There were 34/55 HydroMARK®, 10/55 Tumark®, and 11/55 other marker types. Time interval between marker placement and MRI examination was 103 ± 81 days (mean ± standard deviation). Three readers with 1-30 years of experience independently assessed four axial sequences: unenhanced fat-suppressed three-dimensional T1-weighted spoiled gradient-recalled (SPGR), first contrast-enhanced fat-suppressed SPGR, T2-weighted water-only fast spin-echo (T2-WO), and T2-weighted fat-only fast-spin-echo (T2-FO).

RESULTS

Markers were 5.2× more likely to be visualized on T2-WO than on unenhanced images (p = < 0.001), and 3.3× more likely to be visualized on contrast-enhanced than on unenhanced sequences (p = 0.009). HydroMARK markers demonstrated a 3× more likelihood of being visualized than Tumark (p = 0.003). Markers were 8.4× more likely to be visualized within morphologically abnormal LNs (p < 0.001). After 250 days post-placement, confidence in marker brightness of HydroMARK markers on T2-WO images was less than 50% (p < 0.001). Inter-rater agreement was excellent for T2-WO and contrast-enhanced SPGR, good for unenhanced SPGR, and poor for T2-FO images.

CONCLUSION

T2-WO and contrast-enhanced images should be used for marker identification. HydroMARK was the best visualized marker. Markers were easier to identify when placed in abnormal LNs. The visibility of HydroMARK markers was reduced with time.

Circulating lncRNA H19 may be a useful marker of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Novel biomarkers are needed to predict the effectiveness of the treatment of presurgical neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in breast cancer (BC).

OBJECTIVE

This is an exploratory study to assess the impact of 3 cancer-related long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) (H19, MALAT1 and GA5) in blood plasma of patients with BC in predicting the response to NAC.

METHODS

The plasma levels of RNAs were relatively measured by quantitative PCR at baseline, and at the end of the fourth cycle of NAC in patients with locally advanced BC.

RESULTS

Only H19 was associated with patients' characteristics, and with the response to NAC. Higher plasma expression of H19 was associated with younger age at diagnosis, triple negative tumors, and Ki-67 index. Patients with a pathological complete response (20%) had lower pre-therapeutic levels of H19 compared with the non-complete responders (relative levels 0.1 vs 0.2, respectively, P: 0.04). In addition, the patients with higher degree of downstaging of initial tumors had lower baseline levels of H19 among non-complete responders.

CONCLUSION

Our study reveals that H19, but not MALAT1 and GAS5, may be a useful marker of response to NAC in BC.

Effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on breast tissue composition: a longitudinal mammographic study with automated volumetric measurement

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) on breast tissue composition with mammographic automated volumetric measurement.

METHODS

This retrospective study included 168 breast cancer patients who were treated with NAC and underwent serial mammography (pre-treatment, mid-treatment, and post-treatment) between January 2015 and October 2018. Automated volumetric measurements of the contralateral breast volume (BV), fibroglandular volume (FGV), and breast density (BD) were performed using Volpara software. BD grades were divided into 4 groups by Volpara density grade (VDG). The longitudinal changes in BV, FGV, BD, and their associated factors were evaluated.

RESULTS

Repeated-measures analysis of variance demonstrated a significant reduction in BV, FGV, and BD over time (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, and p = 0.002, respectively). BV showed a greater reduction in the second half than in the first half (- 28.6 cm³ vs. - 15.2 cm³), BD showed a greater reduction in the first half than in the second half (- 0.8% vs. - 0.1%), and FGV steadily decreased (- 4.6 cm³ and - 3.9 cm³ in the first and second halves). On multivariable linear regression analysis, chemotherapy regimen was associated with BV change between pre- and post-treatment (p = 0.002); age (p = 0.024) and VDG (p = 0.027) were associated with FGV change; age (p = 0.037), VDG (p = 0.002), and chemotherapy regimen (p = 0.003) were associated with BD change.

CONCLUSIONS

NAC affects breast tissue composition, reflected as reductions in BV, FGV, and BD. Mammography with automated volumetric measurement can capture quantitative changes in these breast tissue parameters during NAC.

KEY POINTS

• Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) affects breast tissue composition with different patterns of reduction in breast volume, fibroglandular volume, and breast density. • Age, Volpara density grades, and NAC regimen were independent factors associated with breast density change between pre-treatment and post-treatment. • Mammography with automated volumetric measurement enables identification of longitudinal changes in breast tissue composition.

Background parenchymal enhancement: behavior during neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer and relationship with a pathological complete response

Objective

To evaluate background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) and its characteristics, as well as its behavior before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), in both breasts of patients with unilateral breast cancer.

Materials and Methods

This was a retrospective, cross-sectional observational study involving a consecutive sample of women with invasive breast cancer who underwent breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) between July 2007 and July 2017, as well as undergoing dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI before and after NAC. In both breasts, we evaluated the BPE in accordance with the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System. We applied logistic regression analysis, and values of p < 0.05 were considered significant.

Results

We evaluated 150 women. The mean age was 45.2 years (range, 20-74 years). The variables correlating independently with a high pre-NAC BPE, in the affected and contralateral breasts, were being under 50 years of age (odds ratio [OR] = 6.55; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 2.32-18.46, for both breasts) and a post-NAC BPE reduction (OR = 17.75; 95% CI: 4.94-63.73 and OR = 18.47; 95% CI: 5.19-66.49, respectively).

Conclusion

Patients with invasive unilateral breast cancer who have a high pre-NAC BPE in both breasts tend to be under 50 years of age and to show a post-NAC reduction in BPE.

Imaging and monitoring HER2 expression in breast cancer during trastuzumab therapy with a peptide probe 99mTc-HYNIC-H10F

PURPOSE

The novel molecular imaging probe ^99mTc-HYNIC-H10F was developed for patient screening and efficacy monitoring of trastuzumab therapy by SPECT imaging of HER2 expression in breast cancer.

METHODS

^99mTc-HYNIC-H10F was developed by labeling H10F peptide with ^99mTc following an optimized protocol. Biodistribution and SPECT/CT were performed in mouse models bearing HER2-positive SK-BR3 and HER2-negative MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer xenografts, respectively. The treatment response to trastuzumab was monitored and quantified by SPECT/CT in two HER2-positive breast cancer models (SK-BR3 and MDA-MB-361). The preliminary clinical study was performed in two patients with breast cancer.

RESULTS

SPECT/CT with ^99mTc-HYNIC-H10F showed that the SK-BR3 tumors were clearly visualized, while the signals from MDA-MB-231 tumors were much lower. The tumor uptake of ^99mTc-HYNIC-H10F could be blocked by excess unlabeled H10F peptide but not by excess trastuzumab. The growth of two HER2-positive tumors was prominently suppressed at day 11 post-treatment. However, SPECT/CT reflected much earlier therapy response at day 4 post-treatment. The HER2 expression in tumors of breast cancer patients could be detected by ^99mTc-HYNIC-H10F SPECT/CT imaging.

CONCLUSIONS

^99mTc-HYNIC-H10F specifically accumulates in HER2-positive tumors. Compared with trastuzumab, ^99mTc-HYNIC-H10F binds to a different domain of HER2 antigen, providing new opportunities to monitor HER2 expression levels before/during/after trastuzumab treatment for more effective personalized treatment.

Label-free multiphoton imaging to assess neoadjuvant therapy responses in breast carcinoma

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy has been used increasingly in patients with early-stage or locally advanced breast carcinoma, and has been recommended as a general approach in locally advanced-stage diseases. Assessing therapy response could offer prognostic information to help determine subsequent nursing plan; particularly it is essential to identify responders and non-responders for the sake of helping develop follow-up treatment strategies. However, at present, diagnostic accuracy of preoperative clinical examination are still not satisfactory. Here we presented an alternate approach to monitor tumor and stroma changes associated with neoadjuvant therapy responses in breast carcinoma, with a great potential for becoming a new diagnostic tool—multiphoton microscopy. Imaging results showed that multiphoton imaging techniques have the ability to label-freely visualize tumor response such as tumor necrosis, and stromal response including fibrosis, mucinous response, inflammatory response as well as vascular hyperplasia in situ at cellular and subcellular levels. Moreover, using automated image analysis and a set of scoring methods, we found significant differences in the area of cell nucleus and in the content of collagen fibers between the pre-treatment and post-treatment breast carcinoma tissues. In summary, this study was conducted to pathologically evaluate the response of breast carcinoma to preoperative chemotherapy as well as to assess the efficacy of multiphoton microscopy in detecting these pathological changes, and experimental results demonstrated that this microscope may be a promising tool for label-free, real-time assessment of treatment response without the use of any exogenous contrast agents.

Changes in Cytokeratin 18 during Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy of Breast Cancer: A Prospective Study

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE

Prediction of response to neoadjuvant treatment is an important part of treatment of patients with breast cancer. This study aimed to assess changes in serum levels of Cytokeratin 18 during neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced breast cancer and its association with neoadjuvant treatments.

METHODS

This research was performed on newly diagnosed breast cancer patients referred to Omid Radiotherapy Center and radiotherapy and oncology departments of Emam Reza and Ghaem hospitals, in Mashhad, Iran. Serum levels of M30 and M65 fragments of Cytokeratin 18 were measured before and 24 hours after the first course of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Changes in serum levels of Cytokeratin 18 and its fragments and their correlation with pathologic response were analyzed.

RESULTS

Pre- and post-chemotherapy levels of M30 were respectively 223.9±18.94 and 250.7±23.92 U/L (P=0.24). For M65, these levels were respectively 301.5±313.9 and 330.2±352.2 U/L (P=0.1). Changes in M30 level during chemotherapy in patients with and without pathologic complete response were -20±92.69 and 43.1±106.5, respectively (P=0.1). For M65, these changes were respectively -247±55 and 76±240 (P=0.1). Baseline levels of M30 and M65 had no relation with menopausal status, tumor grade, hormone receptor status, Ki67 expression, molecular subtype, and stage.

CONCLUSION

Our findings showed statistically insignificant changes in the level of Caspase-cleaved- (M30) and uncleaved- (M65) cytokeratin 18 fragments (apoptotic and necrotic indicators, respectively) during neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer. There was no notable relationship between tumor-related factors and either baseline levels or serum changes of CK18 fragments. Also, there was no correlation between M30/M65 level and pathologic response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Quantitative mathematical objective evaluation of contrast-enhanced spectral mammogram in the assessment of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and prediction of residual disease in breast cancer

Background

The aim of the study is to initiate a new quantitative mathematical objective tool for evaluation of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and prediction of residual disease in breast cancer using contrast-enhanced spectral mammography (CESM). Forty-two breast cancer patients scheduled for receiving NAC were included. All patients underwent two CESM examinations: pre and post NAC. To assess the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, we used a mathematical image analysis software that can calculate the difference in the intensity of enhancement between the pre and post neoadjuvant contrast images (MATLAB and Simulink) (Release 2013b). The proposed technique used the pre and post neoadjuvant contrast images as inputs. The technique consists of three main steps: (1) preprocessing, (2) extracting the region of interest (ROI), and (3) assessment of the response to chemotherapy by measuring the percentage of change in the intensity of enhancement of malignant lesions in the pre and post neoadjuvant CESM studies using a quantitative mathematical technique. This technique depends on the analysis of number of pixels included within the ROI. We compared this technique with the currently used method of evaluation: RECIST 1.1 (response evaluation criteria in solid tumors 1.1) and using another combined response evaluation approach using both RECIST 1.1 in addition to a subjective visual evaluation. Results were then correlated with the postoperative pathology evaluation using Miller–Payne grades. For statistical evaluation, patients were classified into responders and non-responders in all evaluation methods.

Results

According to the Miller–Payne criteria, 39/42 (92.9%) of the participants were responders (Miller–Payne grades III, IV, and IV) and 3/42 (7.1%) were non-responders (Miller–Payne grades I and II). Using the proposed technique, 39/39 (100%) were responders in comparison to 38/39 patients (97.4%) using the combined criteria and 34/39 (87.2%) using the RECIST 1.1 evaluation. The calculated correlation coefficient of the proposed quantitative objective mathematical technique, RECIST 1.1 criteria, and the combined method was 0.89, 0.59, and 0.69 respectively. With classification of patients into responder and non-responders, the objective mathematical evaluation showed higher sensitivity, positive and negative predictive values, and overall accuracy (100%, 97.5%, 100%, and 85.7% respectively) compared to RECIST 1.1 evaluation (87.2%, 97.1%, 28.6%, and 54.8% respectively) and the combined response method (97.4%, 97.4%, 66.7%, and 85.7% respectively).

Conclusion

Quantitative mathematical objective evaluation using CESM images allows objective quantitative and accurate evaluation of the response of breast cancer to chemotherapy and is recommended as an alternative to the subjective techniques as a part of the pre-operative workup.

Combined procedure of marking axillary positive node with iodine-125 seed and sentinel lymph node biopsy in breast cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy

OBJECTIVE

To present our initial experience in the combined procedure of intraoperative detection of axillary positive node marked with ¹²⁵I seed (ML) and sentinel node biopsy (SLN) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT), in breast cancer patients.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Prospective study, January 2017 - March 2019, 16 breast cancer patients T1-3N1. TNM stage: IIA: 3, IIB: 10, IIIA: 3. Histological type ductal invasive: 14. Molecular subtype: luminal A: 3, luminal B: 9, HER2: 3, basal like: 1. The ML was marked 227±36 days before neoadjuvant chemotherapy (n: 10), or 1-6 days before surgery, on previously identified node by ultrasound visibility marker, hydrogel (n: 3) or three dimensional-3D (n: 3). Axillary lymphadenectomy was undertaken in 10 patients.

RESULTS

ML and SLN were identified in the surgery in 93.7% (15/16) of the cases, in 33.3% (5/15) ML was not among SLN, and in only one patient (1/5) was there a discrepancy between the result of ML and SLN (macrometastases vs. negative 0/2). Median number of lymph nodes SLN: 2.2±0.9 (range 1-3) and AD: 13.5±5.2 (range 7-23). In all cases, histopathological analysis of ML, ¹²⁵I seed and/or marker within, correctly predicted axillary status after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. In all patients the ¹²⁵I radioactive seed was recovered.

CONCLUSIONS

Placing of ¹²⁵I seeds is a feasible technique for intraoperative location of axillary positive node combined with SLN. The histopathological result of ML allows the axillary status to be determined after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Patients with Breast Cancer Following Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Provides Early Prediction of Pathological Response - A Prospective Study

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the capacity of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) for early prediction of pathological response in breast cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT). This prospective unicentric study evaluated 62 patients who underwent NCT. MRI was performed prior to the start of treatment (MR1), after the first NCT cycle (MR2), and upon completion of NCT (MR3). Pathological response was used as the gold-standard. Patients’ median age was 45.5 years and the median tumor size was 40 mm. Twenty-four (38.7%) tumors presented complete pathological response (pCR). The percent increase in apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value between MR1 and MR2 was higher in the pCR group (p < 0.001). When the minimum increase in ADC between MR1 and MR2 was set at 25%, sensitivity was 83%, specificity was 84%, positive predictive value was 77%, negative predictive value was 89%, and accuracy was 84% for an early prediction of pCR to NCT. Meanwhile, there were no significant changes in major tumor dimensions between MR1 and MR2. In conclusion, an increase in ADC after the first cycle of NCT correlates well with pCR after the chemotherapy in our cohort, precedes reduction in tumor size on conventional MRI, and may therefore be used as an early predictor of treatment response.

Higher underestimation of tumour size post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy with breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-A concordance comparison cohort analysis

Objectives

The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of breast MRI for detecting residual tumor and the tumor size whether it would be affected after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Methods

Total 109 patients with NAC and 682 patients without NAC were included in this retrospective study. Measurement of the largest diameter of tumors at pathology was chosen as gold standard and compared with preoperative breast MRI. A concordance threshold of ±25% of maximal tumor size was used. The accuracy of MRI was graded as concordant, underestimation, or overestimation rate. Further subgroup analysis with tumor stages, histologic subgroups and intrinsic subtypes was performed.

Results

The post-NAC MRI was associated with 92.5% sensitivity, 55.2% specificity, 85.1% positive predictive value, 72.7% negative predictive value, and overall 82.6% accuracy for detecting residual tumor. In determining tumor size, the overall concordance rates of the non-NAC group and the NAC group were 43.5% and 41.3%, respectively (p = 0.678). But the overestimation rate and underestimation rate were 26.6% and 32.1% for NAC group, and 52.9% and 3.5% for the non-NAC group (p<0.001). While in the subgroups analysis, the concordance rate of the NAC group (26.7%) was lower than that of the non-NAC group (82.1%) at T3 stage (p<0.001). There were no statistically significant differences between different tumor histologic subgroups and intrinsic subtypes.

Conclusions

The overall accuracy of MRI in predicting tumor size was not affected by NAC; however, it tends to underestimate tumor size after NAC, especially in patients with T3 lesions and above.

Accuracy of breast magnetic resonance imaging in evaluating the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy: a study of 310 cases at a cancer center

Objective

To evaluate the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the breasts in the identification of a pathological complete response in patients with breast cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC).

Materials and Methods

This was a single-center, retrospective, observational study designed to validate a diagnostic test. The following variables were evaluated: age; results of the histological and immunohistochemical analysis of the biopsy; post-NAC MRI findings; and results of the histological analysis of the surgical specimen, using the residual cancer burden index. The radiological response, as assessed by MRI, was compared with the pathological response, as assessed by histological analysis of the surgical specimen (the gold standard method).

Results

We evaluated 310 tumors in 308 patients. The mean age of the patients was 47 years (range, 27-85 years). For identifying a pathological complete response, breast MRI had an overall accuracy of 79%, with a sensitivity of 75%, specificity of 83%, positive predictive value of 75%, and negative predictive value of 83%. When that accuracy was stratified by molecular subtype, it was best for the HER2 subtype, with a sensitivity and specificity of 82% and 89%, respectively, followed by the triple-negative subtype, with a sensitivity and specificity of 78% and 83%, respectively.

Conclusion

Breast MRI showed good accuracy in the prediction of a pathological complete response after NAC. The sensitivity and positive predictive value were highest for the HER2 and triple-negative subtypes.

The ongoing evaluation and evolution of breast cancer surgical care

Surgery has always been the backbone of breast cancer management. Throughout the past century, there have been great advances in chemotherapy regimens, especially in the neo-adjuvant setting. As a result of this progress, a patient's disease can be potentially down-staged and thus surgical intervention can therefore be de-escalated for the breast as well as the axilla. Current clinical trials are evaluating the role of imaging and core needle biopsy as predictive tools for the efficacy of neo-adjuvant chemotherapy. Results from these trials may help to clarify how the intricate relationship among imaging, pathology, radiotherapy, and surgery will affect the future management of patients undergoing neo-adjuvant chemotherapy for invasive breast cancer.

Early differentiating between the chemotherapy responders and nonresponders: preliminary results with ultrasonic spectrum analysis of the RF time series in preclinical breast cancer models

Background

This study was aimed to assess whether ultrasonic spectrum analysis of radiofrequency (RF) time series using a clinical ultrasound system allows for early differentiating between the chemotherapy responders and nonresponders in human breast cancer xenografts that imitate clinical responding and nonresponding tumors.

Methods

Clinically responding (n = 20; MCF-7) and nonresponding (n = 20; MBA-MD-231) breast cancer xenografts were established in 40 nude mice. Ten mice from each group received either chemotherapy (adriamycin, 4 mg/kg) or saline as controls. Each tumor was imaged longitudinally with a clinical ultrasound scanner at baseline (day 0) and subsequently on days 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 following treatment, and the corresponding RF time-series data were collected. Changes in six RF time-series parameters (slope, intercept, S1, S2, S3 and S4) were compared with the measurement of the tumor cell density, and their differential performances of the treatment response were analyzed.

Results

Adriamycin significantly inhibited tumor growth and decreased the cancer cell density in responders (P < 0.001) but not in nonresponders (P > 0.05). Fold changes of slope were significantly increased in responders two days after adriamycin treatment (P = 0.002), but not in nonresponders (P > 0.05). Early changes in slope on day 2 could differentiate the treatment response in 100% of both responders (95% CI, 62.9–100.0%) and nonresponders (95% CI, 88.4–100%).

Conclusions

Ultrasonic RF time series allowed for the monitoring of the tumor response to chemotherapy and could further serve as biomarkers for early differentiating between the treatment responders and nonresponders.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s40644-019-0248-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Comparison of 99mTc-Sestamibi Molecular Breast Imaging and Breast MRI in Patients With Invasive Breast Cancer Receiving Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study is to prospectively compare the size of invasive breast cancer before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) at breast MRI and molecular breast imaging (MBI) and to assess the accuracy of post-NAC MBI and MRI relative to pathologic analysis. SUBJECTS AND METHODS. Women with invasive breast cancer greater than or equal to 1.5 cm were enrolled to compare the longest dimension before and after NAC at MRI and MBI. MBI was performed on a dual-detector cadmium zinc telluride system after administration of 6.5 mCi (240 MBq) ^99mTc-sestamibi. The accuracy of MRI and MBI in assessing residual disease (invasive disease or ductal carcinoma in situ) was determined relative to pathologic examination. RESULTS. The longest dimension at MRI was within 1.0 cm of that at MBI in 72.3% of cases before NAC and 70.1% of cases after NAC. The difference between the longest dimension at imaging after NAC and pathologic tumor size was within 1 cm for 58.7% of breast MRI cases and 59.6% of MBI cases. Ninety patients underwent both MRI and MBI after NAC. In the 56 patients with invasive residual disease, 10 (17.9%) cases were negative at MRI and 23 (41.1%) cases were negative at MBI. In the 34 patients with breast pathologic complete response, there was enhancement in 10 cases (29.4%) at MRI and uptake in six cases (17.6%) at MBI. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value after NAC were 82.8%, 69.4%, 81.4%, and 71.4%, respectively, for MRI and 58.9%, 82.4%, 84.6%, and 54.9%, respectively, for MBI. CONCLUSION. Breast MRI and MBI showed similar disease extent before NAC. MBI may be an alternative to breast MRI in patients with a contraindication to breast MRI. Neither modality showed sufficient accuracy after NAC in predicting breast pathologic complete response to obviate tissue diagnosis to assess for residual invasive disease. Defining the extent of residual disease compared with pathologic evaluation was also limited after NAC for both breast MRI and MBI.

Biopsy Feasibility Trial for Breast Cancer Pathologic Complete Response Detection after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: Imaging Assessment and Correlation Endpoints

PURPOSE

This study was designed to present the secondary imaging endpoints of the trial for evaluating mammogram (MMG), ultrasound (US) and image guided biopsy (IGBx) assessment of pathologic complete response (pCR) in breast cancer (BC) patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC).

METHODS

Patients with T1-3, N0-3, M0 triple-negative or HER2-positive BC who received NAC were enrolled in an Institutional Review Board-approved prospective, clinical trial. Patients underwent US and MMG at baseline and after NAC. Images were evaluated for residual abnormality and to determine modality for IGBx [US-guided (USG) or stereotactic guided (SG)]. Fine-needle aspiration and 9-G, vacuum-assisted core biopsy (VACBx) of tumor bed was performed after NAC and was compared with histopathology at surgery.

RESULTS

Forty patients were enrolled. Median age was 50.5 (range 26-76) years; median baseline tumor size was 2.4 cm (range 0.8-6.3) and 1 cm (range 0-5.5) after NAC. Nineteen patients had pCR: 6 (32%) had residual Ca²⁺ presurgery, 5 (26%) residual mass, 1 (5%) mass with calcifications, and 7 (37%) no residual imaging abnormality. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of US, MMG, and IGBx for pCR were 47/95/73%, 53/90/73%, and 100/95/98%, respectively. Twenty-five (63%) patients had SGBx and 15 (37%) had US-guided biopsy (USGBx). Median number of cores was higher with SGBx (12, range 6-14) than with USGBx (8, range 4-12), p < 0.002. Positive predictive value for pCR was significantly higher for SG VACBx than for USG VACBx (100 vs. 60%, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

SG VACBx is the preferred IGBx modality for identifying patients with pCR for trials testing the safety of eliminating surgery.

A feasibility study of neoadjuvant talazoparib for operable breast cancer patients with a germline BRCA mutation demonstrates marked activity

This study was undertaken to determine the feasibility of enrolling breast cancer patients on a single-agent-targeted therapy trial before neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Specifically, we evaluated talazoparib in patients harboring a deleterious BRCA mutation (BRCA+). Patients with a germline BRCA mutation and ≥1 cm, HER2-negative primary tumors were eligible. Study participants underwent a pretreatment biopsy, 2 months of talazoparib, off-study core biopsy, anthracycline, and taxane-based chemotherapy ± carboplatin, followed by surgery. Volumetric changes in tumor size were determined by ultrasound at 1 and 2 months of therapy. Success was defined as 20 patients accrued within 2 years and <33% experienced a grade 4 toxicity. The study was stopped early after 13 patients (BRCA1 + n = 10; BRCA2 + n = 3) were accrued within 8 months with no grade 4 toxicities and only one patient requiring dose reduction due to grade 3 neutropenia. The median age was 40 years (range 25–55) and clinical stage included I (n = 2), II (n = 9), and III (n = 2). Most tumors (n = 9) were hormone receptor-negative, and one of these was metaplastic. Decreases in tumor volume occurred in all patients following 2 months of talazoparib; the median was 88% (range 30–98%). Common toxicities were neutropenia, anemia, thrombocytopenia, nausea, dizziness, and fatigue. Single-agent-targeted therapy trials are feasible in BRCA+ patients. Given the rapid rate of accrual, profound response and favorable toxicity profile, the feasibility study was modified into a phase II study to determine pathologic complete response rates after 4–6 months of single-agent talazoparib.

An investigational PARP inhibitor seems safe and possibly effective when given ahead of surgery to women with BRCA-mutated breast cancer. Jennifer Litton and colleagues from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, USA, conducted a small feasibility study to see if patients with stage I-III breast cancer and inherited mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 would put off their standard course of chemotherapy ahead of surgery to first receive two months of talazoparib, an experimental inhibitor of poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP), an enzyme involved in DNA damage repair. The trial was a resounding success. In fact, owing to rapid patient enrollment, decreases in tumor volume among all 13 participants and few signs of serious side effects, the researchers amended the study protocol to give talazoparib for longer and test for therapeutic efficacy.

Prediction of neoadjuvant chemotherapy response using diffuse optical spectroscopy in breast cancer

PURPOSE

Near-infrared diffuse optical spectroscopy (DOS) has been recently used to predict neoadjuvant chemotherapy response (NAC). In the present study, we explore the change in blood-oxygen content using DOS to predict NAC response against breast cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 20 patients were enrolled and underwent DOS scan with blood-oxygen detection before each treatment cycle. The first DOS scan was performed before NAC treatment (pretreatment), and subsequent scans were performed after each NAC treatment circle. Changes in blood content and oxygen content by DOS were evaluated and compared with tumor size, and their changes were analyzed in response versus nonresponse group.

RESULTS

Thirteen patients were classified into response and seven patients into nonresponse group. The tumor blood content value (-1.06 ± 0.43) and oxygen content value (0.48 ± 0.17) of DOS at pretreatment was significantly different from presurgery in response group (P < 0.05), but not in nonresponse group. In response group, the percentage change in blood content (median 91.19%) was significantly larger than tumor size (median 48.89%) (P = 0.0035), while in oxygen content (median 47.11%) is not (P = 0.2815). Comparing each cycle, the percentage change in blood content could distinguish responder from non-responder as early as after the first treatment cycle (19.1 versus 6.6%, P = 0.0265). Blood content percentage sensitivity was 76.9% and specificity was 85.7% (AUC 0.912), while oxygen content percentage sensitivity was 76.9% and specificity was 71.4% (AUC 0.797).

CONCLUSION

Both blood and oxygen content measured by DOS could be used to discriminate responder to the treatment versus non-responder. Among the two, percentage change of blood content was more precise and earlier than that of oxygen content to predicted breast tumor response. The percentage change in blood content could distinguish responder from non-responder after the first treatment cycle.