Evaluation of breast cancer response to chemotherapy: role of ultrasound and Doppler - Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2002;24(7):447-452
Purpose: to compare the size of locally advanced breast tumors through clinical examination, mammography, and ultrasound, and describe the parameters of color Doppler ultrasound evaluated before and after primary chemotherapy. Methods: it was a prospective and descriptive clinical study. Eighteen women with the diagnosis of breast carcinoma, with clinical primary tumors of 50 mm or larger, were submitted to palpation, mammography, ultrasound and color Doppler ultrasound at the moment of diagnosis and after 3 cycles of chemotherapy. The response was considered present when there was a clinical decrease of 50% or more and an ultrasonographic decrease of 25% or more, and absent when there was a clinical decrease less than 50% and ultrasonographic decrease less than 25%. A descriptive statistical analysis and Wilcoxon test were used. Results: regarding the size of the tumors, the method whose results were closer to pathological examination was the clinical examination after chemotherapy, when compared with sizes on ultrasound and mammography. The mammography helped to evaluate 44% of the cases before chemotherapy (8/18). In the cases where the response was absent, the Doppler showed a significant increase of the flow and a decrease of resistance and pulsatility index. In the cases where the response was present (9 cases), the Doppler did not show any significant change regarding the studied parameters. Conclusion: clinical examination was the most efficient method to evaluate the decrease of the volume of tumors submitted to neoadjuvant chemotherapy when compared with ultrasound and mammographic examinations. Doppler showed increase of the flow in the cases of absent response.
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Purpose: to compare the size of locally advanced breast tumors through clinical examination, mammography, and ultrasound, and describe the parameters of color Doppler ultrasound evaluated before and after primary chemotherapy. Methods: it was a prospective and descriptive clinical study. Eighteen women with the diagnosis of breast carcinoma, with clinical primary tumors of 50 mm or larger, were submitted to palpation, mammography, ultrasound and color Doppler ultrasound at the moment of diagnosis and after 3 cycles of chemotherapy. The response was considered present when there was a clinical decrease of 50% or more and an ultrasonographic decrease of 25% or more, and absent when there was a clinical decrease less than 50% and ultrasonographic decrease less than 25%. A descriptive statistical analysis and Wilcoxon test were used. Results: regarding the size of the tumors, the method whose results were closer to pathological examination was the clinical examination after chemotherapy, when compared with sizes on ultrasound and mammography. The mammography helped to evaluate 44% of the cases before chemotherapy (8/18). In the cases where the response was absent, the Doppler showed a significant increase of the flow and a decrease of resistance and pulsatility index. In the cases where the response was present (9 cases), the Doppler did not show any significant change regarding the studied parameters. Conclusion: clinical examination was the most efficient method to evaluate the decrease of the volume of tumors submitted to neoadjuvant chemotherapy when compared with ultrasound and mammographic examinations. Doppler showed increase of the flow in the cases of absent response.
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