Work

VisR Ultrasound Improves Diagnosis of Breast Cancer by the Elastogram-to-B-Mode Ratio in a Blinded Reader Study

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Ultrasound elastography is increasingly being used alongside mammography for breast cancer diagnosis, particularly in women with radiographically dense breasts. The elastogram-to-B-Mode ratio (E/B), which compares lesion sizes in B-Mode and stiffness images, has been shown to differentiate malignant (E/B >1) from benign (E/B <1) masses. However, the diagnostic utility of E/B has not yet been evaluated using viscosity images, despite viscosity being an emerging biomarker for malignancy. Furthermore, neglecting viscosity can confound elasticity estimation in viscoelastic media like breast tissue. To address this limitation, we used Viscoelastic Response (VisR) ultrasound to assess the diagnostic value of E/B derived from both relative stiffness (RE) and relative viscosity (RV) images. In a blinded reader study, E/B values from viscosity images exhibited similar trends (>1 in malignant lesions and <1 in benign lesions) to those observed in stiffness images. Additionally, E/B values calculated from RE alone, RV alone, or a combination of RE and RV achieved 4-16% higher AUCs for discriminating malignant lesions compared to E/B derived solely from Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) peak displacement. These results suggest that incorporating VisR-derived viscosity and elasticity metrics into E/B calculations could significantly improve diagnostic accuracy for breast cancer detection.

Source: IEEE Open Journal of Ultrasonics Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control

DOI: 10.1109/ojuffc.2025.3560585

Authors: Anna V. Phillips, Cherie M. Kuzmiak, Gabriela Torres, Caterina M. Gallippi

Institutions: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University, Siemens Healthcare (United States)

Language: English

Topic: Ultrasound Imaging and Elastography

Subfield: Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,075