title: Microcalcification of Tumor is a Predictor of Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Invasive Breast Carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In recent years, neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is often performed for patients with unresectable breast carcinoma or without indication of breast conserving therapy. However, it is currently difficult to predict response to NAC with diagnostic imaging of breast carcinoma. In this study, we investigated imaging findings that could serve as a predictor of the response to NAC for patients with invasive breast carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-six patients with invasive breast carcinoma who received NAC at the Division of Breast and Endocrine Surgery of Tottori University Hospital between January 2010 and May 2014 were retrospectively investigated. Their imaging findings from mammograms and ultrasonograms were reviewed. The association between findings on mammograms and ultrasonograms captured before NAC and response to treatment after NAC was examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 26 patients with invasive breast carcinoma, 19 (73%) responded well to treatment and 7 (27%) did not. Most notably, all 10 patients who had microcalcifications on mammogram responded well to treatment (53% of responders), and all patients who did not respond to treatment had no microcalcifications (P < 0.05). Of these 10 patients, 9 (90%) had microcalcifications of comedo type and one (10%) had non comedo type. As a distribution, 8 of the 10 (80%) had a clustered type of microcalcifications and the remaining 2 (20%) had a segmental type of them.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Microcalcifications of tumor observed in mammogram (particularly comedo type) could be a predictor of response to NAC for patients with invasive breast carcinoma.
authors: Department of Pathobiological Science and Technology, School of Health Science, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago 683-8503, Japan.
authors: Aya
authors: A
authors: Murata
authors: Department of Pathobiological Science and Technology, School of Health Science, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago 683-8503, Japan.
authors: Naoko
authors: N
authors: Sannomiya
authors: Department of Pathobiological Science and Technology, School of Health Science, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago 683-8503, Japan.
authors: Naoki
authors: N
authors: Miyamoto
authors: Department of Pathobiological Science and Technology, School of Health Science, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago 683-8503, Japan.
authors: Naoyuki
authors: N
authors: Ueda
authors: Department of Pathobiological Science and Technology, School of Health Science, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago 683-8503, Japan.
authors: Akira
authors: A
authors: Kamida
authors: Department of Pathobiological Science and Technology, School of Health Science, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago 683-8503, Japan.
authors: Yuki
authors: Y
authors: Koyanagi
authors: Department of Pathobiological Science and Technology, School of Health Science, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago 683-8503, Japan.
authors: Haruki
authors: H
authors: Nagira
authors: Department of Pathobiological Science and Technology, School of Health Science, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago 683-8503, Japan.
authors: Eriko
authors: E
authors: Matsuda
authors: Department of Pathobiological Science and Technology, School of Health Science, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago 683-8503, Japan.
authors: Yuki
authors: Y
authors: Hashimoto
authors: Department of Pathobiological Science and Technology, School of Health Science, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago 683-8503, Japan.
authors: Kengo
authors: K
authors: Sato
authors: †Division of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Tottori University Hospital, Yonago 683-8504, Japan.
authors: Yumi
authors: Y
authors: Hirooka
authors: †Division of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Tottori University Hospital, Yonago 683-8504, Japan.
authors: Keiko
authors: K
authors: Hosoya
authors: †Division of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Tottori University Hospital, Yonago 683-8504, Japan.
authors: Yuzo
authors: Y
authors: Takagi
authors: †Division of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Tottori University Hospital, Yonago 683-8504, Japan.
authors: Yuko
authors: Y
authors: Tanaka
authors: †Division of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Tottori University Hospital, Yonago 683-8504, Japan.
authors: Kunio
authors: K
authors: Araki
authors: †Division of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Tottori University Hospital, Yonago 683-8504, Japan.
authors: Kiyosuke
authors: K
authors: Ishiguro
authors: Department of Pathobiological Science and Technology, School of Health Science, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago 683-8503, Japan.
authors: Yasuaki
authors: Y
authors: Hirooka
keywords: breast carcinoma; microcalcification; neoadjuvant chemotherapy