Vascular branching point counts using photoacoustic imaging in the superficial layer of the breast: A potential biomarker for breast cancer

Iku Yamaga; Nobuko Kawaguchi-Sakita; Yasufumi Asao; Yoshiaki Matsumoto; Aya Yoshikawa; Toshifumi Fukui; Masahiro Takada; Masako Kataoka; Masahiro Kawashima; Elham Fakhrejahani; Shotaro Kanao; Yoshie Nakayama; Mariko Tokiwa; Masae Torii; Takayuki Yagi; Takaki Sakurai; Hironori Haga; Kaori Togashi; Tsuyoshi Shiina; Masakazu Toi

doi:10.1016/j.pacs.2018.06.002

Vascular branching point counts using photoacoustic imaging in the superficial layer of the breast: A potential biomarker for breast cancer

Photoacoustics. 2018 Jun 20:11:6-13. doi: 10.1016/j.pacs.2018.06.002. eCollection 2018 Sep.

Authors

Iku Yamaga¹, Nobuko Kawaguchi-Sakita², Yasufumi Asao³, Yoshiaki Matsumoto¹, Aya Yoshikawa¹, Toshifumi Fukui⁴, Masahiro Takada¹, Masako Kataoka⁵, Masahiro Kawashima¹, Elham Fakhrejahani⁶, Shotaro Kanao⁵, Yoshie Nakayama¹, Mariko Tokiwa¹, Masae Torii¹, Takayuki Yagi³, Takaki Sakurai⁷, Hironori Haga⁷, Kaori Togashi⁵, Tsuyoshi Shiina⁸, Masakazu Toi¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Breast Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Japan.
² Department of Clinical Oncology, Kyoto University Hospital, Japan.
³ Japan Science and Technology Agency, Japan.
⁴ Medical Imaging System Development Center, Canon Inc., Japan.
⁵ Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Japan.
⁶ Kyoto Breast Cancer Research Network Organization, Japan.
⁷ Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Japan.
⁸ Department of Human Health Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Japan.

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the characteristics of the vascular network in the superficial subcutaneous layer of the breast and to analyze differences between breasts with cancer and contralateral unaffected breasts using vessel branching points (VBPs) detected by three-dimensional photoacoustic imaging with a hemispherical detector array. In 22 patients with unilateral breast cancer, the average VBP counts to a depth of 7 mm below the skin surface were significantly greater in breasts with cancer than in the contralateral unaffected breasts (p < 0.01). The ratio of the VBP count in the breasts with cancer to that in the contralateral breasts was significantly increased in patients with a high histologic grade (p = 0.03), those with estrogen receptor-negative disease (p < 0.01), and those with highly proliferative disease (p < 0.01). These preliminary findings indicate that a higher number of VBPs in the superficial subcutaneous layer of the breast might be a biomarker for primary breast cancer.

Keywords: BP, blood pressure; Biomarker; Breast cancer; DCIS, ductal carcinoma in situ; HDA, hemispherical detector array; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; PAI, photoacoustic imaging; Photoacoustic imaging; US, ultrasonography; VBP, vessel branching point; Vasculature; Vessel branching points.