Objectives:
to develop an original technique for quantifying the qualitative information offered by ultrasonic elastography and for correlating this information with the data obtained by native three-dimensional angioultrasonography and by magnetic resonance with contrast medium, aiming to detect the stage of the disease and to monitor the evolution of breast cancer patients.
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| DESCRIPTION | The project consist in developing an original device of graded mechanical impulse as well as an original software for the quantitative characterization of the elastographic image will be developed. This will be followed by the characterization and in vitro optimization of the proposed elastographic quantification technique through studies on a phantom. and subsequently on excised pathological human mammary tissue (obtained following breast surgery in patients with indication of surgery) and will be included in standard media. After the optimization of the mechanical device and of the developed software the clinical study of the method will follow. For this a minimum number of 700 patients being under pre- and posttherapeutical diagnostic clinical evaluation in the Clinic of Radiology, Cluj County Clinic of Emergency, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Iuliu Hatieganu” Cluj will be explored with qualitative and quantitative elastography – with the personally developed method. The method will be used for patients in conjunction with exploration by native three-dimensional angioultrasonography of the nodular lesions which had been found. All the patients will also follow the standard diagnostic protocol of breast pathology consisting in clinical exploration, mammography and bidimensional ultrasonography. In about 150-200 patients examination with magnetic resonance with contrast medium will also be performed. The aim of this part of the project consists in the detection of nodular lesions not visualized by conventional techniques of examination and the subsequent characterization of these lesions through qualitative and quantitative ultrasonic elastography and three-dimensional angioultrasonography. In this way the contribution of elastography to the detection of occult lesions and to the diagnosis of lesions detected by classical methods will be evaluated. Also, the contribution of qualitative and quantitative elastography to the appreciation of the tumor response to chemotherapy, radiotherapy and/or hormone therapy in a minimum number of 70 patients with breast cancer under adjuvant therapy in the Medical Oncology department of the Cluj County Clinic of Emergency will be studied. In these patients the data offered by elastography will be correlated with those offered by native angioultrasonography and by magnetic resonance with contrast medium. In this way the potential of elastography in monitoring the evolution of breast cancer patients will be evaluated. |
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