To compare the clinical application value of high frequency ultrasound combined with elastography strain rate ratio (SRR) versus magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis of breast cancer.

A retrospective analysis was performed on 65 patients with 84 breast lesions at The 904th Hospital of the PLA Joint Service Support from May 2016 to April 2017. Pathological results were obtained through puncture or surgery for all lesions. High frequency ultrasound and elastography were performed in all patients before puncture or operation, and enhanced MRI scanning was performed. ROC analysis was performed with pathological results as the "gold standard" to calculate the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of high frequency ultrasound combined with elastic SRR in the diagnosis of breast cancer. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of MRI for diagnosis of breast cancer were also calculated using the four-fold table.

The pathological results showed 47 benign masses and 37 breast cancer lesions. The area under ROC curve of high frequency ultrasound combined with SRR was 0.892. With an SRR threshold of 3.01, the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of SRR for diagnosis of breast cancer were 91.9%, 89.4%, and 90.5%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of MRI in the diagnosis of breast cancer were 94.6%, 89.4%, and 91.7%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of high frequency ultrasound combined with elastic SRR and MRI in the diagnosis of breast cancer were both high, and there was no significant difference between them (P>0.05).

The elastic SRR is an important index to reflect the hardness of breast lesions. Combining two-dimensional ultrasound and color Doppler blood flow characteristics has good diagnostic efficacy for breast cancer. Compared with MRI, high frequency ultrasound combined with SRR has the advantages of quickness, high efficiency, and low cost, and is more suitable for early screening of breast neoplasms.