Evaluating Shear Wave Elastography for Breast Cancer Lymph Nodes
Author Information
Author(s): Togawa Riku, Dahm Helena, Feisst Manuel, Sinn Peter, Hennigs André, Nees Juliane, Pfob André, Schäfgen Benedikt, Stieber Anne, Zivanovic Oliver, Heil Jörg, Golatta Michael, Riedel Fabian
Primary Institution: Heidelberg University Hospital
Hypothesis
Can shear wave elastography differentiate between tumor-free and metastatic sentinel lymph nodes in breast cancer patients?
Conclusion
Shear wave elastography was not effective in distinguishing between tumor-free and metastatic sentinel lymph nodes in this study.
Supporting Evidence
- 168 sentinel lymph nodes were analyzed from 105 patients.
- 17 cases of metastases were detected, representing 16.19% of the sample.
- The mean stiffness measured by SWE was similar in both tumor-free and metastatic lymph nodes.
Takeaway
Doctors wanted to see if a special ultrasound technique could tell if lymph nodes in breast cancer patients had cancer. It turns out, it didn't work as well as they hoped.
Methodology
The study used ex vivo shear wave elastography on sentinel lymph nodes from breast cancer patients and compared the results with histopathological findings.
Potential Biases
Subjective observer bias may have influenced the results.
Limitations
The study had a small sample size of metastatic lymph nodes and the potential for observer bias.
Participant Demographics
The mean age of participants was 63.69 years, with a mix of tumor stages and histological subtypes.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.724
Statistical Significance
p = 0.724
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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