Utah Valley University/Huntsman Cancer Institute Collaborative Breast Cancer Study: High-frequency ultrasound for margin assessments

Abstract

In a joint effort between Utah Valley University and the Huntsman Cancer Institute, high-frequency (HF) ultrasound (20–80 MHz) is being studied to determine the pathology of surgical margins from breast conservation surgery. Results from a 2010 NIH R21 study indicated that multiple parameters in the HF ultrasonic spectrum correlate to a range of breast tissue pathologies. This technology promises to provide rapid, intraoperative evaluation of surgical margins, thereby decreasing the number of additional surgeries for patients. A blind study is currently being conducted with conventional pathology as the gold standard for assessing the accuracy of the method. Specimens are delivered by the surgeon's team immediately following resection and ultrasonically tested outside the surgical suite. The margins are approximately 3 × 20 × 20 mm and are oriented using a small staple inserted by the surgeon in one corner and a stitch on one side. The margin is tested at 2–5 locations and then sent to pathology for analysis. Pathology and HF ultrasound results will be compared for correlation at the end of the study, which is expected to last one year. The study will include approximately 80 patients, 360 tissue samples, and 1400 tested locations. If successful, the method will move into clinical trial.