A new analysis looked at whether a special ultrasound technique, called shear wave elastography, can help predict how well breast cancer responds to chemotherapy given before surgery. This type of therapy, known as neoadjuvant chemotherapy, aims to shrink tumors before the main surgery. Knowing early if the treatment is working could help doctors adjust plans if needed.
The researchers combined results from several studies that included 1,402 women with breast cancer. They focused on how accurately shear wave elastography could identify which patients achieved a complete pathological response, meaning no cancer cells remained in the removed tissue. The technique measures tissue stiffness, as tumors often become harder or softer with treatment.
The findings showed that the test had a sensitivity of 68%, meaning it correctly identified about two-thirds of women who had a complete response. Its specificity was 73%, meaning it correctly identified about three-quarters of those who did not have a complete response. The overall diagnostic accuracy, measured by the area under the curve, was 0.85, which indicates a good level of accuracy.
However, the authors caution that these results are not definitive. They call for more extensive prospective studies to confirm the clinical value of this imaging method. Shear wave elastography is non-invasive and could be a helpful addition to current monitoring, but it should not replace standard methods yet.
