Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42221212›Full record

ArticleBreast cancer (Dove Medical Press)2026

Differentiation of Benign and Malignant BI-RADS 4-5 Breast Lesions Using Ultrasound Localization Microscopy-Derived Microvascular Biomarkers: A Prospective Study.

Wei Wei, Wenwu Lu, Wang Zhou, Di Zhang, Xiangyi Xu, Ji Zhou, Yuanyuan Gao, Yayang Duan, Chaoxue Zhang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Breast cancer (Dove Medical Press), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Wei Wei *Department of Ultrasound, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China.
Wenwu Lu *Department of Ultrasound, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China.
Wang Zhou *Department of Ultrasound, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China.ORCID 0000-0003-2785-974X
Di ZhangDepartment of Ultrasound, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China.
Xiangyi XuDepartment of Ultrasound, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China.ORCID 0000-0003-0980-0947
Ji ZhouDepartment of Ultrasound, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China.
Yuanyuan GaoDepartment of Ultrasound, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China.
Yayang DuanDepartment of Ultrasound, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China.
Chaoxue ZhangDepartment of Ultrasound, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objective: To investigate qualitative and quantitative microvascular biomarkers derived from ultrasound localization microscopy (ULM) for differentiating benign and malignant breast lesions, and to evaluate their added value in improving BI-RADS-based diagnosis. Methods: In this prospective study, 295 patients with 301 breast lesions classified as BI-RADS category 4-5 on conventional ultrasound (US) underwent contrast-enhanced ultrasound and ULM prior to surgery or biopsy. Qualitative vascular biomarkers and quantitative parameters were derived from ULM images. Diagnostic performance was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. BI-RADS categories were further re-evaluated by integrating ULM-derived biomarkers. Results: ULM qualitative vascular biomarkers classified microvascular morphology into five patterns: avascular, dot-strip, circular, chaotic, and radial. Benign lesions predominantly exhibited avascular, dot-strip, and circular patterns (5.6%, 23.4%, and 48.6%, respectively), whereas malignant lesions were mainly characterized by chaotic and radial patterns (56.7% and 28.4%, respectively; Conclusion: ULM-derived qualitative and quantitative microvascular biomarkers provide complementary information beyond conventional ultrasound and may improve diagnostic performance and risk stratification in BI-RADS 4-5 breast lesions, but their role in safely reducing unnecessary biopsies requires further clinical validation.

Indexed as

breast imaging reporting and data systembreast lesionscontrast-enhanced ultrasoundultrasound localization microscopy

Identifiers

PMID42221212
PMCPMC13217450

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.