Prediction of Disease-Free Survival in Breast Cancer using Deep Learning with Ultrasound and Mammography: A Multicenter Study

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BackgroundBreast cancer is a leading cause of cancer morbility and mortality in women. The possibility of overtreatment or inappropriate treatment exists, and methods for evaluating prognosis need to be improved. Materials and MethodsPatients (from January 2013 to December 2018) were recruited and divided into a training group and a testing group. All patients were followed for more than 3 years. Patients were divided into a disease-free group and a recurrence group based on follow up results at 3 years. Ultrasound (US) and mammography (MG) images were collected to establish deep learning models (DLMs) using ResNet50. Clinical data, MG, and US characteristics were collected to select independent prognostic factors using a cox proportional hazards model to establish a clinical model. DLM and independent prognostic factors were combined to establish a combined model. ResultsIn total, 1242 patients were included. Independent prognostic factors included age, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, HER2, orientation, blood flow, dubious calcification, and size. We established 5 models: the US DLM, MG DLM, US + MG DLM, clinical and combined model. The combined model using US images, MG images, and pathological, clinical, and radiographic characteristics had the highest predictive performance (AUC = 0.882 in the training group, AUC = 0.739 in the testing group). ConclusionDLMs based on the combination of US, MG, and clinical data have potential as predictive tools for breast cancer prognosis.