Radiogenomics in breast cancer: a review

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Early detection of breast cancer is essential in the diagnosis and treatment of this disease. The results of core biopsy, immunohistochemical methods or removed surgical specimens contributed to the identification of molecular markers. Currently, the attention of researchers is attracted by the anatomical and functional features of tumor tissue obtained using imaging methods. The correlation of specific phenotypes based on images (radiomics) with large-scale genomic analysis (genomics) is a new field of research called “radiogenomics” or, more precisely, “image genomics”. This new field examines the relationship between diagnostic methods and gene data, as well as with other clinically relevant information.OBJECTIVE: To analyze current trends in the development of radiogenomics in the study of breast cancer based on the literature data.MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical literature was searched using information and analytical databases Cochrane, Medline, and Elibrary using the text search queries “radiogenomics of breast cancer”, “mammography and radiogenomics”, “magnetic resonance imaging and radiogenomics”, “ultrasonic radiogenomics”.RESULTS: We found strong evidence that there is a moderate relationship between imaging characteristics and genomic characteristics of breast cancer. However, the results obtained have a number of limiting factors that distort the overall picture.CONCLUSION: Precision medicine can be optimized based on the genotypic and phenotypic characteristics of the tumor. However, the development of this direction requires new research and the development of databases using a multicenter approach.