Abstract
The aim of the present study was to evaluate tumor stiffness by ultrasound elastography, which has the potential to provide additional information that is useful in predicting the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSC) patients. In total, 32 patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage III and IV epithelial ovarian cancer treated with NACT underwent transvaginal and transabdominal sonography, followed by elastography and finally, by interval cytoreductive surgery. Histopathological analysis revealed 24 (75%) HGSCs. The mean elasticity score was statistically higher for the post-NACT lesions than for the pre-NACT lesions (3.13±0.57 vs. 2.04±0.51, respectively; P<0.001). The median elasticity score for the pre-NACT lesions on the four-point scale was 2, and the score for the post-NACT lesions was 4. Cases of post-NACT with scores of 3 and 4 had a higher optimal cytoreduction rate than cases with scores of 1 and 2 (93.8 vs. 25.0%, respectively; P<0.001). When the post-NACT elasticity scores of 3 and 4 were used for the prediction of optimal cytoreduction, elastography exhibited 88.2% sensitivity, 85.7% specificity, a 93.8% positive predictive value, a 75.0% negative predictive value and 87.5% accuracy. The results of the current study suggested that elastography is a sensitive tool for the evaluation of NACT in patients with HGSC and that it may aid gynecologists in choosing the optimal cytoreduction.
Highlights
The life‐time risk of suffering from epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is ~1.5% in females
In the present study, we hypothesized that the evaluation of tumor stiffness by elastography has the potential to provide additional information that is useful in predicting the response to Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) in a clinical setting
A total of 32 patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage III and IV EOC treated with NACT and interval cytoreductive surgery at the Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University (Shanghai, China) between January 2011 and December 2012 were selected for enrolment into this study
Summary
The life‐time risk of suffering from epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is ~1.5% in females. Elastography has been demonstrated to be a useful method for ascertaining the presence of tumors and distinguishing between different categories of abnormalities, such as benign versus malignant lesions in breast tissue, thyroid tissue, prostate tissue and lymph nodes [6] It has been applied for the evaluation of the effect of ablative therapies, in which the heating of tissues results in the denaturation of proteins and promotes the stiffness of ablated tissue [7]. In the present study, we hypothesized that the evaluation of tumor stiffness by elastography has the potential to provide additional information that is useful in predicting the response to NACT in a clinical setting. The tumor stiffness in patients with advanced EOCs who received NACT was investigated and the correlation with whether optimal cytoreduction could be completed or not was analyzed
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
