title: Heat fixation of cancer cells ablated with high-intensity-focused ultrasound in patients with breast cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  High-intensity-focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a noninvasive thermal ablation technique. This study reports the use of histological techniques for the pathological assessment of HIFU effects in patients with breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-three patients with biopsy-proven breast cancer underwent HIFU treatment for primary breast lesion. Mastectomy was performed on all patients after HIFU. By using histological examinations, the surgical specimens were assessed to explore HIFU effects on breast cancer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Coagulation necrosis of targeted tumors was confirmed by microscopy in 23 patients. Tumor cells presented typical characteristics of coagulation necrosis in the peripheral region of the ablated tumor in all patients. However, in 11 of 23 patients, hematoxylin and eosin staining showed normal cellular structure in the central ablated tumor. By using electronic microscopy and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-diaphorase stain, those who had normal-appearing cancer cells were not viable.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HIFU can cause the heat fixation of ablated tumor through thermal effect.
authors.affiliation: HIFU Unit, The Churchill Hospital, University of Oxford, Headington, UK. mfengwu@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Zhi-Biao
authors.initials: ZB
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: You-De
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Zhong-Lin
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Wen-Zhi
authors.initials: WZ
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008875:Middle Aged; D018396:Mucin-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D009336:Necrosis / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014464:Ultrasonic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018396:Mucin-1; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A