Baseline cross-sectional imaging of locally advanced high-risk breast cancer facilitates highly customized radiation therapy in surgically inaccessible anatomical areas
BackgroundRoutine medical imaging used for preliminary breast cancer workup, such as mammography (MMG) and ultrasound (US), has limited utility for radiation oncologists. We hypothesized that the inclusion of cross-sectional imaging (CT scan or PET-CT) prior to primary systemic therapy (PST) would i...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Oncology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2025.1556122/full |
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| author | Tomasz Borowiec Rafał Matkowski Rafał Matkowski Bożena Cybulska-Stopa Bożena Cybulska-Stopa Tomasz Kuniej Andrzej Kołodziejczyk Dorota Dupla Adam Maciejczyk Adam Maciejczyk |
| author_facet | Tomasz Borowiec Rafał Matkowski Rafał Matkowski Bożena Cybulska-Stopa Bożena Cybulska-Stopa Tomasz Kuniej Andrzej Kołodziejczyk Dorota Dupla Adam Maciejczyk Adam Maciejczyk |
| author_sort | Tomasz Borowiec |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundRoutine medical imaging used for preliminary breast cancer workup, such as mammography (MMG) and ultrasound (US), has limited utility for radiation oncologists. We hypothesized that the inclusion of cross-sectional imaging (CT scan or PET-CT) prior to primary systemic therapy (PST) would improve clinical staging accuracy and facilitate customized postoperative radiation therapy planning. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the standard baseline imaging with extended radiological staging.MethodsTo assess our hypothesis, we performed a prospective, single-center study that included 132 participants who were recruited from October 2015 to March 2020. We quantified the value of cross-sectional imaging compared to those of MMG and US. Descriptive statistics, the Friedman and chi-square tests were performed, and p < 0.05 was considered significant.ResultsPatients were grouped into two cohorts: the CT scan cohort (n = 87) and the PET-CT cohort (n = 43). A comparison of the value of cross-sectional imaging with those of MMG and US revealed that staging and radiation planning were altered by this additional procedure. The originally determined disease stage changed in 36.8% and 51.2% of cases in the first and second groups, respectively. The consistency between the assessment of involved axillary lymph nodes using imaging (cN) and the postoperative pathology report (pN) were evaluated. In most cases, clinical and pathological evaluation were consistent, with χ2(1) = 18.98; p < 0.001 for CT scan, and χ2(1) = 6.41; p = 0.03 for PET-CT.ConclusionsCross-sectional imaging is recommended for patients with locally advanced high-risk breast cancer. A highly customized radiation therapy, including a dose boost, was administered in nine patients with affected lymph nodes that were surgically inaccessible. This procedure was facilitated by extended radiological staging. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-aed1dbab1fd140ad86798b5834e480d7 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2234-943X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Oncology |
| spelling | doaj-art-aed1dbab1fd140ad86798b5834e480d72025-08-20T03:16:26ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Oncology2234-943X2025-02-011510.3389/fonc.2025.15561221556122Baseline cross-sectional imaging of locally advanced high-risk breast cancer facilitates highly customized radiation therapy in surgically inaccessible anatomical areasTomasz Borowiec0Rafał Matkowski1Rafał Matkowski2Bożena Cybulska-Stopa3Bożena Cybulska-Stopa4Tomasz Kuniej5Andrzej Kołodziejczyk6Dorota Dupla7Adam Maciejczyk8Adam Maciejczyk9Lower Silesian Oncology, Pulmonology and Hematology Center, Wroclaw, PolandLower Silesian Oncology, Pulmonology and Hematology Center, Wroclaw, PolandDepartment of Oncology, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, PolandLower Silesian Oncology, Pulmonology and Hematology Center, Wroclaw, PolandDepartment of Hematology and Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wrocław, PolandLower Silesian Oncology, Pulmonology and Hematology Center, Wroclaw, PolandLower Silesian Oncology, Pulmonology and Hematology Center, Wroclaw, PolandLower Silesian Oncology, Pulmonology and Hematology Center, Wroclaw, PolandLower Silesian Oncology, Pulmonology and Hematology Center, Wroclaw, PolandDepartment of Oncology, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, PolandBackgroundRoutine medical imaging used for preliminary breast cancer workup, such as mammography (MMG) and ultrasound (US), has limited utility for radiation oncologists. We hypothesized that the inclusion of cross-sectional imaging (CT scan or PET-CT) prior to primary systemic therapy (PST) would improve clinical staging accuracy and facilitate customized postoperative radiation therapy planning. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the standard baseline imaging with extended radiological staging.MethodsTo assess our hypothesis, we performed a prospective, single-center study that included 132 participants who were recruited from October 2015 to March 2020. We quantified the value of cross-sectional imaging compared to those of MMG and US. Descriptive statistics, the Friedman and chi-square tests were performed, and p < 0.05 was considered significant.ResultsPatients were grouped into two cohorts: the CT scan cohort (n = 87) and the PET-CT cohort (n = 43). A comparison of the value of cross-sectional imaging with those of MMG and US revealed that staging and radiation planning were altered by this additional procedure. The originally determined disease stage changed in 36.8% and 51.2% of cases in the first and second groups, respectively. The consistency between the assessment of involved axillary lymph nodes using imaging (cN) and the postoperative pathology report (pN) were evaluated. In most cases, clinical and pathological evaluation were consistent, with χ2(1) = 18.98; p < 0.001 for CT scan, and χ2(1) = 6.41; p = 0.03 for PET-CT.ConclusionsCross-sectional imaging is recommended for patients with locally advanced high-risk breast cancer. A highly customized radiation therapy, including a dose boost, was administered in nine patients with affected lymph nodes that were surgically inaccessible. This procedure was facilitated by extended radiological staging.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2025.1556122/fullbreast cancerhigh-risk patientsprimary systemic therapypre-treatment imagingtreatment individualization |
| spellingShingle | Tomasz Borowiec Rafał Matkowski Rafał Matkowski Bożena Cybulska-Stopa Bożena Cybulska-Stopa Tomasz Kuniej Andrzej Kołodziejczyk Dorota Dupla Adam Maciejczyk Adam Maciejczyk Baseline cross-sectional imaging of locally advanced high-risk breast cancer facilitates highly customized radiation therapy in surgically inaccessible anatomical areas Frontiers in Oncology breast cancer high-risk patients primary systemic therapy pre-treatment imaging treatment individualization |
| title | Baseline cross-sectional imaging of locally advanced high-risk breast cancer facilitates highly customized radiation therapy in surgically inaccessible anatomical areas |
| title_full | Baseline cross-sectional imaging of locally advanced high-risk breast cancer facilitates highly customized radiation therapy in surgically inaccessible anatomical areas |
| title_fullStr | Baseline cross-sectional imaging of locally advanced high-risk breast cancer facilitates highly customized radiation therapy in surgically inaccessible anatomical areas |
| title_full_unstemmed | Baseline cross-sectional imaging of locally advanced high-risk breast cancer facilitates highly customized radiation therapy in surgically inaccessible anatomical areas |
| title_short | Baseline cross-sectional imaging of locally advanced high-risk breast cancer facilitates highly customized radiation therapy in surgically inaccessible anatomical areas |
| title_sort | baseline cross sectional imaging of locally advanced high risk breast cancer facilitates highly customized radiation therapy in surgically inaccessible anatomical areas |
| topic | breast cancer high-risk patients primary systemic therapy pre-treatment imaging treatment individualization |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2025.1556122/full |
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