Retraction Phenomenon Research Articles

Retractions in arts and humanities: an analysis of the retraction notices

Abstract The aim of this work is to understand the retraction phenomenon in the arts and humanities domain through an analysis of the retraction notices—formal documents stating and describing the retraction of a particular publication. The retractions and the corresponding notices are identified using the data provided by Retraction Watch. Our methodology for the analysis combines a metadata analysis and a content analysis (mainly performed using a topic modelling process) of the retraction notices. Considering 343 cases of retraction, we found that many retraction notices are neither identifiable nor findable. In addition, these were not always separated from the original papers, introducing ambiguity in understanding how these notices were perceived by the community (i.e. cited). Also, we noticed that there is no systematic way to write a retraction notice. Indeed, some retraction notices presented a complete discussion of the reasons for retraction, while others tended to be more direct and succinct. We have also reported many notices having similar text while addressing different retractions. We think a further study with a larger collection should be done using the same methodology to confirm and investigate our findings further.

Diagnostic Performance of Artificial Intelligence–Based Computer-Aided Detection Software for Automated Breast Ultrasound

This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of radiologists following the utilization of artificial intelligence (AI)-based computer-aided detection software (CAD) in detecting suspicious lesions in automated breast ultrasounds (ABUS). ABUS-detected 262 breast lesions (histopathological verification; January 2020 to December 2022) were included. Two radiologists reviewed the images and assigned a Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) category. ABUS images were classified as positive or negative using AI-CAD. The BI-RADS category was readjusted in four ways: the radiologists modified the BI-RADS category using the AI results (AI-aided 1), upgraded or downgraded based on AI results (AI-aided 2), only upgraded for positive results (AI-aided 3), or only downgraded for negative results (AI-aided 4). The AI-aided diagnostic performances were compared to radiologists. The AI-CAD-positive and AI-CAD-negative cancer characteristics were compared. For 262 lesions (145 malignant and 117 benign) in 231 women (mean age, 52.2 years), the area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC) of radiologists was 0.870 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.832-0.908). The AUC significantly improved to 0.919 (95% CI, 0.890-0.947; P=0.001) using AI-aided 1, whereas it improved without significance to 0.884 (95% CI, 0.844-0.923), 0.890 (95% CI, 0.852-0.929), and 0.890 (95% CI, 0.853-0.928) using AI-aided 2, 3, and 4, respectively. AI-CAD-negative cancers were smaller, less frequently exhibited retraction phenomenon,and had lower BI-RADS category. Among nonmass lesions, AI-CAD-negative cancers showed no posterior shadowing. AI-CAD implementation significantly improved the radiologists' diagnostic performance and may serve as a valuable diagnostic tool.

Research misconduct in hospitals is spreading: A bibliometric analysis of retracted papers from Chinese university-affiliated hospitals

Abstract Purpose The number of retracted papers from Chinese university-affiliated hospitals is increasing, which has raised much concern. The aim of this study is to analyze the retracted papers from university-affiliated hospitals in mainland China from 2000 to 2021. Design/methodology/approach Data for 1,031 retracted papers were identified from the Web of Science Core collection database. The information of the hospitals involved was obtained from their official websites. We analyzed the chronological changes, journal distribution, discipline distribution and retraction reasons for the retracted papers. The grade and geographic locations of the hospitals involved were explored as well. Findings We found a rapid increase in the number of retracted papers, while the retraction time interval is decreasing. The main reasons for retraction are plagiarism/self-plagiarism (n=255), invalid data/images/conclusions (n=212), fake peer review (n=175) and honesty error(n=163). The disciplines are mainly distributed in oncology (n=320), pharmacology & pharmacy (n=198) and research & experimental medicine (n=166). About 43.8% of the retracted papers were from hospitals affiliated with prestigious universities. Research limitations This study fails to differentiate between retractions due to honest error and retractions due to research misconduct. We believe that there is a fundamental difference between honest error retractions and misconduct retractions. Another limitation is that authors of the retracted papers have not been analyzed in this study. Practical implications This study provides a reference for addressing research misconduct in Chinese university-affiliated hospitals. It is our recommendation that universities and hospitals should educate all their staff about the basic norms of research integrity, punish authors of scientific misconduct retracted papers, and reform the unreasonable evaluation system. Originality/value Based on the analysis of retracted papers, this study further analyzes the characteristics of institutions of retracted papers, which may deepen the research on retracted papers and provide a new perspective to understand the retraction phenomenon.

Enhanced Detection of Suspicious Breast Lesions: A Comparative Study of Full-Field Digital Mammography and Automated Breast Ultrasound in 117 Patients with Core Needle Biopsy.

BACKGROUND This retrospective study from a single center aimed to compare the performance of full-field digital mammography (FFDM) vs automated breast ultrasound (ABUS) in the identification and characterization of suspicious breast lesions in 117 patients who underwent core-needle biopsy (CNB) of the breast. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study involved a group of 301 women. Every patient underwent FFDM followed by ABUS, which were assessed in concordance with BI-RADS (Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System) classification. RESULTS No focal lesions were found in 168 patients. In 133 patients, 117 histopathologically verified focal lesions were found. Among them, 78% appeared to be malignant and 22% benign. ABUS detected 246 focal lesions, including 115 classified as BI-RADS 4 or 5 and submitted to verification, while FFDM revealed 122 lesions, including 75 submitted to verification. The analysis revealed that combined application of both methods caused sensitivity to increase to 100, and improved accuracy improvement. Margin assessments in these examinations are consistent (P<0.00), the lesion's margin type with both methods depends on its malignant or benign character (P<0.03), lesion margins distribution on ABUS depends on estrogen receptor presence (P=0.033), and there was significant correlation between malignant character of the lesion and retraction phenomenon sign (P=0.033). ABUS obtained higher compliance between the size of the lesion in histopathology compared to FFDM (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS The results shows that ABUS is comparable to FFDM, and even outperforms it in a few of the analyzed categories, suggesting that the combination of these 2 methods may have an important role in breast cancer detection.

Hole-driven dynamics of a three-dimensional gravitational liquid curtain

It is known that the disintegration of vertical liquid curtains (sheets) is affected crucially by the amplification of free edge holes forming inside the curtain. This paper aims to investigate the influence of the hole expansion dynamics, driven by the so-called rim retraction, on the breakup of a liquid curtain, in both supercritical (Weber number $We &gt; 1$ ) and subcritical ( $We &lt; 1$ ) conditions. The analysis is based on three-dimensional direct numerical simulations. For a selected supercritical configuration, the steady flow topology is first analysed. The investigation reveals the classic triangular shape regime of the steady curtain, due to the surface-tension-induced borders retraction towards its centre plane. The unsteady dynamics is then investigated as the curtain response to a hole perturbation introduced artificially in the steady flow configuration. The hole evolution determines a rim retraction phenomenon inside the curtain, which is influenced by both capillary and gravity forces. In supercritical conditions, the hole does not influence the curtain flow dynamics in the long-time limit. By reducing the Weber number slightly under the critical threshold ( $We=1$ ), the initial amplification rate of the hole area increases, due to the stronger retraction effect of surface tension acting on the hole rims. The free hole expansion in fully subcritical conditions ( $We &lt; 1$ ) is investigated finally by simulating an edge-free curtain flow. As $We$ decreases progressively, the hole expands while it is convected downstream by gravity acceleration. In the range $0.4&lt; We&lt;1$ , the subcritical curtain returns to the intact unperturbed configuration after the hole expulsion at the downstream outflow. For $We&lt;0.4$ , the surface tension force becomes strong enough to reverse the gravitational motion of the hole top point, which retracts upstream towards the sheet inlet section while expanding along the lateral directions. This last phenomenon causes finally the breakup of the curtain, which results in a columnar regime strictly resembling similar experimental findings of the literature.

Automated Breast Ultrasound (ABUS)-based radiomics nomogram: an individualized tool for predicting axillary lymph node tumor burden in patients with early breast cancer

ObjectivesPreoperative evaluation of axillary lymph node (ALN) status is an essential part of deciding the appropriate treatment. According to ACOSOG Z0011 trials, the new goal of the ALN status evaluation is tumor burden (low burden, < 3 positive ALNs; high burden, ≥ 3 positive ALNs), instead of metastasis or non-metastasis.We aimed to develop a radiomics nomogram integrating clinicopathologic features, ABUS imaging features and radiomics features from ABUS for predicting ALN tumor burden in early breast cancer.MethodsA total of 310 patients with breast cancer were enrolled. Radiomics score was generated from the ABUS images. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to develop the predicting model, we incorporated the radiomics score, ABUS imaging features and clinicopathologic features, and this was presented with a radiomics nomogram. Besides, we separately constructed an ABUS model to analyze the performance of ABUS imaging features in predicting ALN tumor burden. The performance of the models was assessed through discrimination, calibration curve, and decision curve.ResultsThe radiomics score, which consisted of 13 selected features, showed moderate discriminative ability (AUC 0.794 and 0.789 in the training and test sets). The ABUS model, comprising diameter, hyperechoic halo, and retraction phenomenon, showed moderate predictive ability (AUC 0.772 and 0.736 in the training and test sets). The ABUS radiomics nomogram, integrating radiomics score with retraction phenomenon and US-reported ALN status, showed an accurate agreement between ALN tumor burden and pathological verification (AUC 0.876 and 0.851 in the training and test sets). The decision curves showed that ABUS radiomics nomogram was clinically useful and more excellent than US-reported ALN status by experienced radiologists.ConclusionsThe ABUS radiomics nomogram, with non-invasive, individualized and precise assessment, may assist clinicians to determine the optimal treatment strategy and avoid overtreatment.

Examining reasons for victim retraction in domestic violence and abuse: A qualitative analysis of police retraction statements in the United Kingdom

Understanding the factors that influence domestic violence and abuse (DVA) victims to withdraw from the Criminal Justice System globally continues to be a key focus for professionals and academics working within this area. There is a dearth of extant literature examining the motivations behind victim withdrawal, particularly retraction occurring post provision of an initial statement. This paper examines the phenomenon of retraction, by thematically analysing N = 60 police retraction statements (PRS) collected by police officers in a large suburban police force in the North West of England. In examining these statements, insight can also be garnered from those victims still in an active relationship with their abusers. Findings highlight female victims’ motivations for retraction and are framed around victim problem solving including: a) accepting the relationship which resulted in a discordance in proceeding with the prosecution of the abuser b) rejecting the relationship thereby rendering the prosecution as redundant c) engaging in procedural problem solving where alternative measures such as civil actions were sought to substitute a CJS prosecution and d) the effect of children where motivations were split between retracting to return to the complete family unit including the victim as the mother and retracting due to recognising the importance of the father’s role without involvement from the mother. Notwithstanding limitations, this paper demonstrates that there is significant value in conducting an analysis of PRSs in furthering the understanding of why victims choose to retract at this point in their prosecution journey. The extracts from this dataset add insight and understanding into DVA female victim motivations to retract post-initial statement provision and highlight the differences within victim populations who retract their original statement.

Optimized Radiomics Nomogram Based on Automated Breast Ultrasound System: A Potential Tool for Preoperative Prediction of Metastatic Lymph Node Burden in Breast Cancer.

Axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) can be safely avoided in women with T1 or T2 primary invasive breast cancer (BC) and one to two metastatic sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs). However, cancellation of ALND based solely on SLN biopsy (SLNB) may lead to adverse outcomes. Therefore, preoperative assessment of LN tumor burden becomes a new focus for ALN status. This study aimed to develop and validate a nomogram incorporating the radiomics score (rad-score) based on automated breast ultrasound system (ABUS) and other clinicopathological features for evaluating the ALN status in patients with early-stage BC preoperatively. Totally 354 and 163 patients constituted the training and validation cohorts. They were divided into ALN low burden (<3 metastatic LNs) and high burden (≥3 metastatic LNs) based on the histopathological diagnosis. The radiomics features of the segmented breast tumor in ABUS images were extracted and selected to generate the rad-score of each patient. These rad-scores, along with the ALN burden predictors identified from the clinicopathologic characteristics, were included in the multivariate analysis to establish a nomogram. It was further evaluated in the training and validation cohorts. High ALN burdens accounted for 11.2% and 10.8% in the training and validation cohorts. The rad-score for each patient was developed based on 7 radiomics features extracted from the ABUS images. The radiomics nomogram was built with the rad-score, tumor size, US-reported LN status, and ABUS retraction phenomenon. It achieved better predictive efficacy than the nomogram without the rad-score and exhibited favorable discrimination, calibration and clinical utility in both cohorts. We developed an ABUS-based radiomics nomogram for the preoperative prediction of ALN burden in BC patients. It would be utilized for the identification of patients with low ALN burden if further validated, which contributed to appropriate axillary treatment and might avoid unnecessary ALND.

The Diagnostic Significance of the BI-RADS Classification Combined With Automated Breast Volume Scanner and Shear Wave Elastography for Breast Lesions.

We herein compared the diagnostic accuracy of the BI-RADS, ABVS, SWE, and combined techniques for the classification of breast lesions. Breast lesions were appraised using the BI-RADS classification system as well as the combinations of BI-RADS plus ABVS (BI-RADS + ABVS) and BI-RADS plus SWE (BI-RADS + SWE), and both methods (BI-RADS + ABVS + SWE) by two specialties Medical Ultrasound physician. The Fisher's exact and χ2 tests were performed to compare the degree of malignancy for the various methods with a pathology ground truth. Receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) were generated and the corresponding area under the curve (AUC) values were determined to test the diagnostic efficacy of the various methods and identify the optimal SWE cut-off indicative of malignancy. The incidence of the retraction phenomenon on ABVS images of the malignant group was significantly higher (P < .001) than that of the benign group. The specificity, sensitivity, and positive and negative predictive values of the BI-RADS classification were 88.72, 79.38, 83.70, and 85.50%, respectively. BI-RADS plus SWE-Max exhibited enhanced specificity, sensitivity, and positive and negative predictive values of 88.72, 92.78, 85.70, and 94.40%, respectively. Similarly, when BI-RADS + ABVS was utilized, the sensitivity and negative predictive value increased to 95.88 and 96.40%, respectively. BI-RADS + ABVS + SWE possessed the highest overall sensitivity (96.91%), specificity (94.74%), and positive (93.10%) and negative (97.70%) predictive values from all four indices. ABVS and SWE can reduce the subjectivity of BI-RADS. As a result, BI-RADS + ABVS + SWE resulted in the best diagnostic accuracy.

Predicting the molecular subtypes of breast cancer using nomograms based on three-dimensional ultrasonography characteristics.

BackgroundMolecular subtyping of breast cancer is commonly doneforindividualzed cancer management because it may determines prognosis and treatment. Therefore, preoperativelyidentifying different molecular subtypes of breast cancery can be significant in clinical practice.Thisretrospective study aimed to investigate characteristic three-dimensional ultrasonographic imaging parameters of breast cancer that are associated with the molecular subtypes and establish nomograms to predict the molecular subtypes of breast cancers.MethodsA total of 309 patients diagnosed with breast cancer between January 2017and December 2019 were enrolled. Sonographic features were compared between the different molecular subtypes. A multinomial logistic regression model was developed, and nomograms were constructed based on this model.ResultsThe performance of the nomograms was evaluated in terms of discrimination and calibration.Variables such as maximum diameter, irregular shape, non-parallel growth, heterogeneous internal echo, enhanced posterior echo, lymph node metastasis, retraction phenomenon, calcification, and elasticity score were entered into the multinomial model.Three nomograms were constructed to visualize the final model. The probabilities of the different molecular subtypes could be calculated based on these nomograms. Based on the receiver operating characteristic curves of the model, the macro-and micro-areaunder the curve (AUC) were0.744, and 0.787. The AUC was 0.759, 0.683, 0.747 and 0.785 for luminal A(LA), luminal B(LB), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive(HER2), and triple-negative(TN), respectively.The nomograms for the LA, HER2, and TN subtypes provided good calibration.ConclusionsSonographic features such as calcification and posterior acoustic features were significantly associated with the molecular subtype of breast cancer. The presence of the retraction phenomenon was the most important predictor for the LA subtype. Nomograms to predict the molecular subtype were established, and the calibration curves and receiver operating characteristic curves proved that the models had good performance.

Quantitative Indicators of Retraction Phenomenon on an Automated Breast Volume Scanner: Initial Study in the Diagnosis and Prognostic Prediction of Breast Tumors

Retraction phenomenon is a unique sign on an automated breast volume scanner coronal plane image and has high specificity in differentiating benign lesions from malignant breast cancer. The purpose of this study was to quantify the retraction phenomenon by setting different rules to describe connected regions from different dimensions. In total, six quantitative indicators (FΩ1,FΓ,FS,FΩ2,FΩ3and FL) were obtained. FΩ1, FΩ2 and FΩ3 represent the relative areas of the connected region under different rules. FΓandFS represent the number ratio and absolute area of the connected region, respectively. FL represents the ratio of edge numbers. Two hundred fourteen patients with 214 lesions (90 benign and 124 malignant) were enrolled in this study. All quantitative indicators in the malignant group were significantly higher than those in the benign group (all p values <0.001). The indicator FΓ achieved the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) (0.701, 95% confidence interval: 0.631-0.771). Both FΓ and FS had significant associations with axillary lymph node metastasis (p=0.023 and 0.049). Compared with the classic texture feature gray-level co-occurrence matrix, retraction phenomenon quantization improved the AUC by 8.3%. The results indicate that retraction phenomenon quantitative indicators have certain value in distinguishing benign and malignant breast lesions and seem to be associated with axillary lymph node metastasis.

Replies to Commentators

Replies are given to comments, questions, and objections to The Appearance of Ignorance. The reply to Robin McKenna focuses mainly on his questions of whether, with the skeptical argument I’m focused on, a strong enough appearance of ignorance is generated to require an account of that appearance, and whether, to the extent that we do need to account for that appearance, we might do so without contextualism by adopting a solution proposed by Ernest Sosa. The reply to Michael Blome-Tillman focuses mainly on a counterexample he offers to my account of the operation of the “Rule of Sensitivity.” The reply to Elke Brendel focuses mainly on objections to contextualism from the phenomena of disagreement and retraction. The reply to Peter Baumann concerns several of his comments about my treatment of the Harman lottery puzzle.

Disagreeing with a Skeptic from a Contextualist Point of View

The paper focuses on the problem of how to account for the phenomena of disagreement and retraction in disputes over skepticism in a contextualist framework. I will argue that nonindexical versions of contextualism are better suited to account for those phenomena than DeRose’s indexical form of contextualism. Furthermore, I will argue against DeRose’s “single scoreboard” semantics and against his solution of ruling that in a dispute over skepticism, both parties to the conversation are expressing something truth-valueless. At the end, I will briefly address the question of whether DeRose’s contextualism combined with his double-safety account and his rule of sensitivity provide an epistemically satisfying answer to the skeptical challenge. It will be argued that by merely explaining (away) the attractiveness of skeptical arguments, DeRose’s contextualism seems to lack the resources to explain some important epistemic issues, as, for example, the question of what knowledge is and when a true belief turns into knowledge.

Study on Flexural Bearing Capacity of Reinforced Concrete Beams with Artificial Shell Aggregate

Two reinforced concrete beams with different reinforcement ratios are designed by using the formulas and assumptions of normal section flexural bearing capacity of ordinary concrete, and the static flexural tests are carried out. The coarse aggregate used in the reinforced concrete beam is artificial shell aggregate. The strain curves of concrete with different cross-section heights prove that the RC test beam accords with the assumption of plane cross-section in the bending process. The crack distribution and mid-span deflection curve trend of the test beam show that the crack develops rapidly and the deflection of the beam increases sharply before the reinforced concrete beam with artificial shell aggregate is destroyed completely, which gives obvious damage omen and is consistent with that of the ordinary reinforced concrete beam. The strain curve of the mid-span steel bar shows that the shell aggregate above the steel bar is crushed under a certain load after the mid-span longitudinal tension steel bar is yielded, the stress of the steel bar is released, the phenomenon of strain retraction occurs, and the possibility of the mid-span steel bar being pulled off is reduced. The results show that the mechanical properties of reinforced concrete of artificial shell aggregate used as coarse aggregate of structural concrete are similar to those of ordinary concrete and it is possible to use artificial shell aggregate in structural components.

Automated Breast Ultrasound: Interobserver Agreement, Diagnostic Value, and Associated Clinical Factors of Coronal-Plane Image Features.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the interobserver agreement, diagnostic value, and associated clinical factors of automated breast ultrasound (ABUS) coronal features in differentiating breast lesions.Materials and MethodsThis study enrolled 457 pathologically confirmed lesions in 387 female (age, 46.4 ± 10.3 years), including 377 masses and 80 non-mass lesions (NMLs). The unique coronal features, including retraction phenomenon, hyper- or hypoechoic rim (continuous or discontinuous), skipping sign, and white wall sign, were defined and recorded. The interobserver agreement on image type and coronal features was evaluated. Furthermore, clinical factors, including the lesion size, distance to the nipple or skin, palpability, and the histological grade were analyzed.ResultsAmong the 457 lesions, 296 were malignant and 161 were benign. The overall interobserver agreement for image type and all coronal features was moderate to good. For masses, the retraction phenomenon was significantly associated with malignancies (p < 0.001) and more frequently presented in small and superficial invasive carcinomas with a low histological grade (p = 0.027, 0.002, and < 0.001, respectively). Furthermore, continuous hyper- or hypoechoic rims were predictive of benign masses (p < 0.001), whereas discontinuous rims were predictive of malignancies (p < 0.001). A hyperechoic rim was more commonly detected in masses more distant from the nipple (p = 0.027), and a hypoechoic rim was more frequently found in large superficial masses (p < 0.001 for both). For NMLs, the skipping sign was a predictor of malignancies (p = 0.040).ConclusionThe coronal plane of ABUS may provide useful diagnostic value for breast lesions.

Systematic examination of pre‐ and post‐retraction citations

ABSTRACTScientific retractions occur for a multitude of reasons. A growing body of research has studied the phenomenon of retraction through systematic analyses of the characteristics of retracted articles and their associated citations. In our study, we focus on the characteristics of articles that cite retracted articles, and the changes in citation dynamics pre‐ and post‐retraction. We leverage descriptive statistics and ego‐network methods to examine 4,871 retracted articles and their citations before and after retraction. Our retracted articles data was obtained from PubMed, Scopus, and Retraction Watch and their citing articles from Scopus. Our findings indicate a stark decrease in post‐retraction citations and that most of these citations came from countries different from the retracted article's country of publication. Citation context analyses of a subset of retracted articles also reveal that post‐retraction citations came from articles with disciplinary and geographical boundaries different from that of the retracted article.

Automated Three-dimensional Breast US for Screening: Technique, Artifacts, and Lesion Characterization.

Automated breast (AB) ultrasonography (US) scanners have recently been brought to market for breast imaging. AB US devices use mechanically driven wide linear-array transducers that can image whole-breast US volumes in three dimensions. AB US is proposed for screening as a supplemental modality to mammography in women with dense breasts and overcomes important limitations of whole-breast US using handheld devices, such as operator dependence and limited reproducibility. A literature review of supplemental whole-breast US for screening was performed, which showed that both AB US and handheld US allow detection of mammographically negative early-stage invasive breast cancers but also increase the false-positive recall rate. Technicians with limited training can perform AB US; nevertheless, there is a learning curve for acquiring optimal images. Proper acquisition technique may allow avoidance of common artifacts that could impair interpretation of AB US results. Regardless, interpretation of AB US results can be challenging. This article reviews the US appearance of common benign and malignant lesions and presents examples of false-positive and false-negative AB US results. In situ breast cancers are rarely detected with supplemental whole-breast US. The most discriminating feature that separates AB US from handheld US is the retraction phenomenon on coronal reformatted images. The retraction phenomenon is rarely seen with benign findings but accompanies almost all breast cancers. In conclusion, women with dense breasts may benefit from supplemental AB US examinations. Understanding the pitfalls in acquisition technique and lesion interpretation, both of which can lead to false-positive recalls, might reduce the potential harm of performing supplemental AB US. Online supplemental material is available for this article. ©RSNA, 2018.

Evaluation of Occult Breast Cancer with Automated Breast Volume Sonography (ABVS)

A new method of automatic breast volume ultrasonography (ABVS) brings out new possibilities for the evaluation of occult breast cancer, missed on X-ray mammography due to dense breast glandular tissue. This is primarily due to the opportunity to assess the 3D format of whole breast by one scan with evaluation of a typical for malignancy spicularity or retraction phenomenon, high quality digital imaging technologies that enhance the visualization of retroareolar area, opportunity to work with the image on the working station, in the absence of the patient, the possibility of obtaining comparable scans and use them to monitor pathological formations. We present our own clinical case of occult breast cancer in a patient with a dense glandular background, demonstrating the possibilities of automatic volume sonography.

Sonographic Phenotypes of Molecular Subtypes of Invasive Ductal Cancer in Automated 3-D Breast Ultrasound

Our aim was to investigate whether Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System—Ultrasound (BI-RADS-US) lexicon descriptors can be used as imaging biomarkers to differentiate molecular subtypes (MS) of invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) in automated breast ultrasound (ABUS). We included 125 IDCs diagnosed between 2010 and 2014 and imaged with ABUS at two institutes retrospectively. IDCs were classified as luminal A or B, HER2 enriched or triple negative based on reports of histopathologic analysis of surgical specimens. Two breast radiologists characterized all IDCs using the BI-RADS-US lexicon and specific ABUS features. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed. A multinomial logistic regression model was built to predict the MSs from the imaging characteristics. BI-RADS-US descriptor margins and the retraction phenomenon are significantly associated with MSs (both p < 0.001) in both univariate and multivariate analysis. Posterior acoustic features and spiculation pattern severity were only significantly associated in univariate analysis (p < 0.001). Luminal A IDCs tend to have more prominent retraction patterns than luminal B IDCs. HER2-enriched and triple-negative IDCs present significantly less retraction than the luminal subtypes. The mean accuracy of MS prediction was 0.406. Overall, several BI-RADS-US descriptors and the coronal retraction phenomenon and spiculation pattern are associated with MSs, but prediction of MSs on ABUS is limited.

Imaging features of automated breast volume scanner: Correlation with molecular subtypes of breast cancer

ObjectivesTo investigate the correlation between the imaging features obtained by an automated breast volume scanner (ABVS) and molecular subtypes of breast cancer. MethodsWe examined 303 malignant breast tumours by ABVS for specific imaging features and by immunohistochemical analysis to determine the molecular subtype. ABVS imaging features, including retraction phenomenon, shape, margins, echogenicity, post-acoustic features, echogenic halo, and calcifications were analysed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses to determine the significant predictive factors of the molecular subtypes. ResultsBy univariate logistic regression analysis, the predictive factors of the Luminal-A subtype (n=128) were retraction phenomenon (odds ratio [OR]=10.188), post-acoustic shadowing (OR=5.112), and echogenic halo (OR=3.263, P<0.001). The predictive factors of the Human-epidermal-growth-factor-receptor-2-amplified subtype (n=39) were calcifications (OR=6.210), absence of retraction phenomenon (OR=4.375), non-mass lesions (OR=4.286, P<0.001), absence of echogenic halo (OR=3.851, P=0.035), and post-acoustic enhancement (OR=3.641, P=0.008). The predictors for the Triple-Negative subtype (n=47) were absence of retraction phenomenon (OR=5.884), post-acoustic enhancement (OR=5.255, P<0.001), absence of echogenic halo (OR=4.138, P=0.002), and absence of calcifications (OR=3.363, P=0.001). Predictors for the Luminal-B subtype (n=89) had a relatively lower association (OR≤2.328). By multivariate logistic regression analysis, retraction phenomenon was the strongest independent predictor for the Luminal-A subtype (OR=9.063, P<0.001) when present and for the Triple-Negative subtype (OR=4.875, P<0.001) when absent. ConclusionsABVS imaging features, especially retraction phenomenon, have a strong correlation with the molecular subtypes, expanding the scope of ultrasound in identifying breast cancer subtypes with confidence.