Differentiation between Luminal A and B Molecular Subtypes of Breast Cancer Using Pharmacokinetic Quantitative Parameters with Histogram and Texture Features on Preoperative Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to use pharmacokinetic quantitative parameters with histogram and texture features on dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) to differentiate between the luminal A and luminal B molecular subtypes of breast cancer.
Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the data of 94 patients with histopathologically proven breast cancer. The pharmacokinetic quantitative parameters (K ^trans , K _ep , and V _e ) with their corresponding histogram and texture features based on preoperative DCE-MRI were obtained. The parameters were compared using the Mann-Whitney U-test between the luminal A and luminal B groups, the human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2)-positive luminal B and HER2-negative luminal B groups, and the lymph node metastasis (LNM)-positive and LNM-negative groups. Receiver operating characteristic curves were generated for parameters that presented significant between-group differences.
Results: The maximum values of K ^trans , K _ep , and V _e , and the mean and 90th percentile values of V _e were significantly higher in the luminal B group than in the luminal A group. Among the texture features, only skewness of K ^trans significantly differed between the luminal A and B groups. All histogram features of K ^trans were higher in the HER2-positive luminal B group than in the HER2-negative luminal B group. However, no parameter differed between the LNM-positive and LNM-negative groups.
Conclusion: Pharmacokinetic quantitative parameters with histogram and texture features obtained from DCE-MRI are associated with the molecular subtypes of breast cancer, and may serve as potential imaging biomarkers to differentiate between the luminal A and luminal B molecular subtypes.
(Copyright © 2019 The Association of University Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)