Evaluating dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI for differentiating HER2-zero, HER2-low, and HER2-positive breast cancers in patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
Yangling Hu, Meizhi Li, Yalan Hu, Mengyi Wang, Yingyu Lin, Lijuan Mao, Chaoyang Wang, Yanhong Shui, Yutong Song, Huan Wang, Lin Ji, Xin Che, Nan Shao, Xiaoling Zhang
{"title":"Evaluating dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI for differentiating HER2-zero, HER2-low, and HER2-positive breast cancers in patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy.","authors":"Yangling Hu, Meizhi Li, Yalan Hu, Mengyi Wang, Yingyu Lin, Lijuan Mao, Chaoyang Wang, Yanhong Shui, Yutong Song, Huan Wang, Lin Ji, Xin Che, Nan Shao, Xiaoling Zhang","doi":"10.1186/s40001-024-02188-6","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To quantitatively assess the differences in parameters of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) in HER2-zero, HER2-low, or HER2-positive tumors, and to build optimal model for early prediction of HER2-low breast cancer (BC).</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Clinical and DCE-MRI data from 220 BC patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) were retrospectively analyzed. Quantitative and semi-quantitative DCE-MRI parameters were compared in the HER2-zero, HER2-low, or HER2-positive groups before and after early NACT. Empirical models were developed to predict HER2-low BC using logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Patients of HER2-low BC have a lower pCR rate compared with HER2-zero and HER2-positive (17.9% vs. 10.4% vs. 29.5%, p < 0.001), predominantly in the HR (hormone receptor) negative group (22.2% vs. 7.7% vs. 40.5%, p < 0.001). Before NACT, HER2-low BC exhibited higher Kep, Ktrans, Washin, and lower TME intratumoral perfusion characteristics, and higher Kep and lower TME in peritumoral region compared to HER2-zero and HER2-positive BC patients. Notably, after early NACT, changes in intratumoral perfusion (Kep) and in peritumoral perfusion (Ktrans, Washin) were more pronounced in the HER2-low group compared to HER2-zero and HER2-positive group. The ROC curves (AUC) for the pre-NACT intratumoral, peritumoral, and combined perfusion models were 0.675(95% CI 0.600-0.750), 0.661(95% CI 0.585-0.738), 0.731(95% CI 0.660-0.802). The combined pre-and-post-NACT perfusion model further improved predictive performance accordingly, with AUCs of 0.764 (95% 0.637-0.865), 0.795 (95% CI 0.711-0.878), 0.850 (95% CI 0.774-0.926).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The study revealed perfusion heterogeneity between different HER2 statuses and identified the best imaging model as a non-invasive tool to predict HER2-low BC, which can help pre-treatment clinical decision-making.</p>","PeriodicalId":11949,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Medical Research","volume":"30 1","pages":"132"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8000,"publicationDate":"2025-02-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"European Journal of Medical Research","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40001-024-02188-6","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"MEDICINE, RESEARCH & EXPERIMENTAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objectives: To quantitatively assess the differences in parameters of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) in HER2-zero, HER2-low, or HER2-positive tumors, and to build optimal model for early prediction of HER2-low breast cancer (BC).
Materials and methods: Clinical and DCE-MRI data from 220 BC patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) were retrospectively analyzed. Quantitative and semi-quantitative DCE-MRI parameters were compared in the HER2-zero, HER2-low, or HER2-positive groups before and after early NACT. Empirical models were developed to predict HER2-low BC using logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.
Results: Patients of HER2-low BC have a lower pCR rate compared with HER2-zero and HER2-positive (17.9% vs. 10.4% vs. 29.5%, p < 0.001), predominantly in the HR (hormone receptor) negative group (22.2% vs. 7.7% vs. 40.5%, p < 0.001). Before NACT, HER2-low BC exhibited higher Kep, Ktrans, Washin, and lower TME intratumoral perfusion characteristics, and higher Kep and lower TME in peritumoral region compared to HER2-zero and HER2-positive BC patients. Notably, after early NACT, changes in intratumoral perfusion (Kep) and in peritumoral perfusion (Ktrans, Washin) were more pronounced in the HER2-low group compared to HER2-zero and HER2-positive group. The ROC curves (AUC) for the pre-NACT intratumoral, peritumoral, and combined perfusion models were 0.675(95% CI 0.600-0.750), 0.661(95% CI 0.585-0.738), 0.731(95% CI 0.660-0.802). The combined pre-and-post-NACT perfusion model further improved predictive performance accordingly, with AUCs of 0.764 (95% 0.637-0.865), 0.795 (95% CI 0.711-0.878), 0.850 (95% CI 0.774-0.926).
Conclusions: The study revealed perfusion heterogeneity between different HER2 statuses and identified the best imaging model as a non-invasive tool to predict HER2-low BC, which can help pre-treatment clinical decision-making.
期刊介绍:
European Journal of Medical Research publishes translational and clinical research of international interest across all medical disciplines, enabling clinicians and other researchers to learn about developments and innovations within these disciplines and across the boundaries between disciplines. The journal publishes high quality research and reviews and aims to ensure that the results of all well-conducted research are published, regardless of their outcome.