Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the predictive value of shear wave elastography and molecular subtypes for the postoperative efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in patients with breast cancer (BC). METHODS: A total of 57 patients with BC undergoing NAC were retrospectively recruited. The general and follow-up data of these patients were collected. The patients were divided into two groups: the pathological complete remission (pCR) group and the non-pCR group. RESULTS: There were significant differences in the proportion of the elastic modulus value (p = 0.005), Ki-67 expression level (p = 0.039) and molecular subtypes (p < 0.001) between the two groups. Patients with a high elastic modulus value, a high Ki-67 level, as well as triple-negative and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive BC were associated with poor overall survival and disease-free survival time (p < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis identified the elastic modulus value (odds ratio [OR]: 5.841 [3.714-6.112], p < 0.05), Ki-67 level (OR: 3.522 [1.865-3.897], p < 0.05) and molecular subtypes (OR: 4.331 [2.552-6.714], p < 0.05) as risk factors; logistic regression analysis also performed favourably for the prediction of pCR (area under the curve: 0.922 [0.871-0.934]) in patients with BC. CONCLUSION: Elastic modulus value, Ki-67 level and molecular subtypes are risk factors for pCR in patients with BC.