The correlation between HER-2 expression and the CEUS and ARFI characteristics of breast cancer.

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to explore the correlation between the contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) characteristics of breast cancers and the expression of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2).HER-2 expression levels in the tumor masses of 167 clearly diagnosed cases of breast cancer were measured and analyzed. The enhancement features and time intensity curve (TIC) of CEUS and virtual touch tissue imaging (VTI) and virtual touch tissue quantification (VTQ) technology of ARFI were employed to analyze the relationship between HER-2 expression and the CEUS and ARFI characteristics of breast cancer.(1) Statistically significant differences in the distribution of the contrast agent, perforator blood flow, the overranging phenomenon and perfusion defects between the study groups with different HER-2 expression levels (P 0.05). (2) Statistically significant differences in the VTQ results between the groups with different HER-2 expression levels were found (P 0.05).A correlation was found between the CEUS and ARFI characteristics of breast cancer and HER-2 expression levels. This correlation was principally reflected in perfusion defects, perforator blood flow, PI, PT, K and VTQ.