Color Doppler ultrasonography for treatment response prediction and evaluation in breast cancer

Abstract

Primary systemic therapy is a well-established modality of treatment in locally advanced breast cancer. Assessment of tumor response to chemotherapy not only helps in assessing the efficacy of the regimen used but also predicts the overall outcome of the patient. The tumor vascularity is a surrogate marker of tumor burden and this can be readily assessed by color Doppler ultrasound using various indices (resistivity index, pulsatility index and maximum flow velocity). The pre- and post-chemotherapy indices can be compared with in order assess the response to chemotherapy. Among various imaging modalities, MRI and PET have the highest sensitivity in detecting the tumor response, but they are not cost effective. Color Doppler ultrasound is a promising alternative for tumor response assessment owing to its availability, reproducibility and cost–effectiveness.