BREAST-CANCER VASCULARITY - COLOR DOPPLER SONOGRAPHY AND HISTOPATHOLOGY STUDY

In this prospective study, the authors examined 50 patients with breas t tumors (malignant, n = 32; benign, n = 18) to investigate the correl ation between color Doppler flow mapping and histopathological finding s and to evaluate the clinical significance of color Doppler mapping. Among the 32 patients with breast cancer, color Doppler signals were d etected in 24 patients (75%). The maximum flow velocities varied from 5 to 34 cm/sec, with 16 (67%) of them above 15 cmisec. Among the 18 pa tients with benign tumors, color Doppler signals could be detected in 7 (39%). The maximum flow velocity varied from 3 to 30 cm/sec but was over 15 cm/sec in only two patients (28%). Histological studies reveal ed that color Doppler signals detected by Doppler sonography correlate d with disordered neovascularization penetrating the lesion from its p eriphery, consisting of thin-walled blood vessels and large arterioven ous shunts. Although large tumors tend to have high Doppler flow, ther e is no significant correlation between the maximum flow velocity and tumor size. There is also no significant correlation between the detec tion of high flow color Doppler signals and the age, receptor status, tumor size, lymph node metastases, or clinical stage of patients with breast cancer. However, there is a positive association (p < 0.05) bet ween nodal metastases and higher tumor flow velocity in n (less than o r equal to 2 cm) breast tumors, but not in larger tumors. It is conclu ded that color Doppler is useful in the assessment of tumor vascularit y but is of limited value in the differentiation of benign from malign ant lesions. However, the presence of color Doppler signals in n breas t cancer suggesting early dissemination of the cancer might be of impo rtant clinical significance in detecting those small, apparently early , but aggressive tumors with poor prognosis.