Doppler US with perfusion software and contrast medium injection in the early evaluation of radiofrequency in breast cancer recurrences: A prospective phase II study

The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of Doppler ultrasonography (US) with perfusion software and contrast agent injection (DUPC) during radiofrequency (RF) treatment of local recurrent breast cancer. Ten patients were included in this monocentric prospective phase II study. DUPC was performed for each patient the day before treatment and immediately after RF in the operating suite. RF ablation was followed by a total mastectomy. The results of DUPC were compared to the histologic analysis of the operative specimen. Before RF, contrast uptake exceeded 70% in 5 lesions and was less than 50% in 5 lesions. Immediately after RF, no vascularization was detected with DUPC in 9 of the 10 lesions. Contrast uptake attaining 30% was depicted in the remaining lesion. At histologic analysis, complete tumour destruction was confirmed in 7 of the 10 operative specimens. In this study, DUPC is highly efficient and better adapted for the confirmation of tumour destruction in tumours that are hypervascularised before RF compared to hypovascularised lesions.