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Purpose: This retrospective study aimed to develop and validate an Ultrasound (US)‐based nomogram to predict short disease‐free survival (short‐DFS, less than 120 months DFS) in breast cancer (BC). Methods: Nomogram was established based on a training data of 311 BC patients by multivariable logistic regression, and were assessed by discrimination, calibration, and clinical usefulness. Risk stratification was performed by X‐tile. An independent testing data of 200 patients with BC was used for external validation. Results: Nine predictors including three US features and six clinical parameters were screened into the nomogram by Lasso (log λ = −3.594) in training data. Better performance was obtained in the training data (C‐index: 0.942) and testing data (C‐index: 0.914). Calibration analysis indicated optimal agreement between nomogram predictions and actual observations (p = 0.67). Decision curve analysis showed a great clinical benefit (Youden index: 0.634). Three risk levels are low‐risk (<184.0), moderate‐risk (184.0–345.3) and high‐risk (>345.3). Our nomograms had larger area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves compared with Magee Equation and Nottingham Prognostic models (0.942 vs. 0.824, 0.790). Conclusion: The US‐based nomogram and the practical score system facilitate individualized prediction of short‐DFS to optimize clinical decisions and improve prognosis in patients with BC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine whether any salient differences exist in triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC) between premenopausal and postmenopausal patients by comprehensively comparing the ultrasound (US) and clinicopathologic features of these patients. Methods: A detailed evaluation of the US and clinicopathologic features of 60 tumors from 60 patients with a diagnosis of TNBC (36 premenopausal and 24 postmenopausal women) was conducted in this retrospective study. Results: Triple‐negative breast cancer in premenopausal patients was more likely to show a round or oval shape and microlobulated margins, more commonly exerted effects on surrounding tissue, and showed grade 3 blood flow according to the method of Adler et al (Ultrasound Med Biol 1990; 16:553–559) compared with tumors in postmenopausal women. Triple‐negative breast cancer in postmenopausal patients showed some similar US features as those observed in estrogen receptor–positive tumors, including irregular shapes, angular or spiculated margins, and nonparallel growth to the skin (P <.05 for all). Conclusions: Although US cannot be used to unequivocally identify TNBC, it can distinguish some salient US features regarding TNBC between premenopausal and postmenopausal women. Such information can then provide some valuable predictive information on the diagnosis of TNBC for clinicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical value of ultrasound (US) features of breast lesions for predicting the risk of axillary lymph node metastasis in patients with breast cancer. Methods: In this retrospective study, 425 patients with breast cancer were recruited, and their preoperative US features and postoperative pathologic results were collected. The association of these US features of breast cancer with axillary lymph node metastasis was determined by univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: Among the 425 patients, 200 (47.1%) had axillary lymph node metastasis, and 225 (52.9%) did not. The parameters of tumor shape, color Doppler flow imaging grades, histologic grade, and E‐cadherin level were significantly and independently associated with axillary lymph node metastasis (P < .05 for all). Conclusions: Axillary lymph node metastasis was prone to happen in patients with US features of an irregular tumor shape and higher color Doppler flow imaging grades. Ultrasound imaging provides a promising tool for predicting axillary lymph node metastasis in patients with breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]