The Characteristics of Ultrasonography and Thermal Tomography in Various Molecular Subtypes of Breast Cancer

  Objective  To explore the relationship between the imaging features of ultrasonography and thermal tomography and molecular subtypes of breast cancer.

  Methods  404 female breast cancer patients with complete imaging data and pathological findings from January 2014 to June 2017 were reviewed in the West China Hospital of Sichuan University. Breast cancer pathological molecules were classified into Luminal A like type, Luminal B like type, human epidermal growth receptor-2 (HER-2) overexpression type and Basal like type according to the expression of various immune markers. The correlation of ultrasonographic BI-RADS signs, thermal tomography characteristics and immunohistochemical results of breast cancer was analyzed.

  Results  Breast cancer lesions with regular morphology, sharp margins, and enhanced posterior echo were more common in Basal like type; Microcalcification was more likely tend to appear in HER-2 expression breast cancer than other subtypes; The q-r curve of Luminal A like breast cancer was nearly 30°, and that was more common between 30°and 45° of HER-2 expression and Basal like breast cancer; The ratio of vertical and horizontal ≥1 of tumors and limited lymph node metastasis could not be used for distinguishing between different subtypes.

  Conclusion  Different molecular subtypes of breast cancer may behave routine ultrasound and thermal tomography imaging features.