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Breast CancerNCT06878547

VisR Ultrasound for Noninvasively Interrogating Stromal Collagen Organization in Women as a Breast Cancer Biomarker: Evaluation of Anisotropy in Cancer Patients

An observational study of Breast Cancer, run by UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center at 1 site in United States.

Recruiting

Looking for participants now. Contact the study team or a site below to ask about taking part.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

Purpose: This study will evaluate how measurements of tissue stiffness, viscosity, and anisotropy using non-invasive ultrasound imaging correlate with breast tumor malignancy and response to chemotherapy. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 20 to 90 years, women only
Conditions the study is for
Breast Cancer
What is being tested?
Ultrasound
Type of treatment
Medical device
How many people
250 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
7 Mar 2025to 24 Feb 2028
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 20 to 90 years
  • Women only
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Study population: Potential study participants will be patients 20-90 years of age. In the first study arm, patients with suspicious breast lesions that are rated 4 (suspicious)or 5 (highly suggestive of malignancy) on the BI-RADS scale will be recruited. In the second study arm, patients with confirmed malignant breast lesion (s) (BI-RADS 6) who are to undergo neoadjuvant systemic therapy will be recruited. All patients will be recruited from and imaged at the University of North Carolina Hospitals. Based on local demographics, we estimate that roughly 20% will be racial and ethnic minorities. Children will not be included in this study. There will be no randomization to study arms and no intervention beyond ARFI, VisR, and DDAI ultrasound imaging.

Who may be able to join

  • Subjects are 20-90 years of age
  • Subjects are female
  • Breast lesion is sonographically visible with B-Mode ultrasound on diagnostic workup
  • Breast lesion(s) have BI-RADS 4a, 4b, 4c, or 5 rating
  • Subjects are 20-90 years of age
  • Subjects are female
  • Breast lesion is sonographically visible with B-Mode ultrasound on diagnostic workup
  • Breast lesion(s) have BI-RADS 6 rating, subject will be undergoing NAT for stage 2 or 3 malignant breast lesion(s)

Who cannot join

  • Inability to provide informed consent
  • Inability to communicate in English
  • Inability to remain motionless for 15 minutes
  • Subjects with breast implants
  • Breast mass is deeper than 4 cm from skin surface
  • Subjects who are pregnant or lactating
Show all 20Show fewer
  • Subjects who have pacemakers or implanted cardioverters
  • Subjects with a history of mastectomy
  • Previous biopsy or surgery to the site of the mass, surgical excision of mass of interest
  • Subject is male
  • Inability to provide informed consent
  • Inability to communicate in English
  • Inability to remain motionless for 15 minutes
  • Subjects with breast implants
  • Breast mass is deeper than 4 cm from skin surface
  • Subjects who are pregnant or lactating
  • Subjects who have pacemakers or implanted cardioverters
  • Subjects with a history of mastectomy
  • Previous biopsy or surgery to the site of the mass, surgical excision of mass of interest
  • Subject is male

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Caterina Gallippi, PhD contact

9198436647

cmgallip@email.unc.edu

United States1 site, 1 recruiting
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

    Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27514

    Desma Jones, 984-974-8771, desma_jones@med.unc.edu

    Recruiting

Other trials in United States

About this study

Purpose: This study will evaluate how measurements of tissue stiffness, viscosity, and anisotropy using non-invasive ultrasound imaging correlate with breast tumor malignancy and response to chemotherapy.

Participants: Up to 200 women with benign or malignant breast tumors for arm 1 and up to 50 women undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the breast for arm 2 will be recruited.

Procedures (methods): The research team will use an ultrasound scanner to acquire non-invasive elastography data from the breast of each subject, testing a range of transducer rotation angles. Transducer position will be monitored using a position sensor during imaging.

Read the detailed description

The purpose of the proposed research is to evaluate in vivo the feasibility of ultrasound-derived metrics for stiffness, elasticity, viscosity, and anisotropy for clinical diagnostic breast imaging. These biomarkers will be measured using novel, noninvasive ultrasound technologies under development in Dr. Gallippi's laboratory: 1) Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) ultrasound for interrogating tissue stiffness, 2) Viscoelastic Response (VisR) ultrasound for assessing tissue elasticity and viscosity, and 3) Dynamic Displacement Anisotropy Imaging (DDAI) for measuring tissue anisotropy. This proposed pilot study has two unblinded arms, corresponding to two aims from our NIH R01 grant.

The hypothesis of this study is that ultrasound-derived stiffness, elasticity, viscosity, and anisotropy measured in breast tissue will differ between patients with malignant and benign lesions, and between patients who are responsive versus non-responsive to neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NAT). To test these hypotheses, the research team will pursue the following specific aims from the R01 grant (specific aim #1 is being addressed by a different ongoing study, IRB #24-0122):

Aim #2: Correlate in vivo VisR outcomes to collagen fiber organization in malignant and benign breast masses and surrounding stroma in women, and demonstrate the clinical relevance of such to cancer diagnosis and staging. ARFI, VisR, and DDAI imaging will be performed on women with malignant or benign breast tumors to determine their diagnostic value in predicting malignancy. Results will be compared with histological assessment of collagen fiber organization.

Aim #3: Correlate in vivo VisR outcomes to pre- and post-NAT collagen fiber organization, and demonstrate the clinical relevance of such to predicting pathologic complete response (pCR) to NAT in women. ARFI, VisR, and DDAI imaging will be performed on women with malignant breast tumors undergoing neoadjuvant systemic therapy to monitor changes in mechanical properties during treatment and predict response to chemotherapy from early timepoints. Results will be compared with histological assessment of collagen fiber organization.

Conditions
Breast Cancer
Being tested
Ultrasound
Keywords
Breast cancer, Ultrasound screening, Ultrasound elastography, ARFI Ultrasound, VisR Ultrasound, Breast cancer diagnosis, Malignant breast lesion, Benign breast lesion, Neoadjuvant chemotherapy, Non-invasive imaging, Tissue anisotropy, Elasticity, Viscosity
Medical subject headings
Breast Neoplasms

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • UltrasoundDevice

    Non-invasive breast imaging using VisR ultrasound

Study groups in NCT06878547
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Women with benign breast massesParticipants in this group will be imaged once prior to biopsy, as part of the first study arm
Receives: Device: Ultrasound
Women with malignant breast massesParticipants in this group will be imaged once prior to biopsy, as part of the first study arm
Receives: Device: Ultrasound
Women undergoing neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NAT)Participants in this group will be imaged once before starting NAT, once approximately midway through NAT, and once after completion of NAT, as part of the second study arm
Receives: Device: Ultrasound

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. ARFI Peak Displacement (PD) in lesion (Study Arm 1)

    Average ARFI Peak Displacement (PD) value inside of lesion. Peak Displacement (PD) - Maximum displacement of tissue in the breast after an Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) excitation.

    Measured: Baseline imaging

  2. ARFI Peak Displacement (PD) in surrounding tissue (Study Arm 1)

    Average ARFI Peak Displacement (PD) value in an area of breast tissue outside of lesion. Peak Displacement (PD) - Maximum displacement of tissue in the breast after an Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) excitation.

    Measured: Baseline imaging

  3. VisR Relative Elasticity (RE) in lesion (Study Arm 1)

    Average VisR RE value in lesion. RE - relative elasticity (relative to force applied) of breast tissue measured using a Viscoelastic Response (VisR) ultrasound imaging sequence.

    Measured: Baseline imaging

  4. VisR Relative Elasticity (RE) in surrounding tissue (Study Arm 1)

    Average VisR RE value in area of tissue outside of the lesion. RE - relative elasticity (relative to force applied) of breast tissue measured using a Viscoelastic Response (VisR) ultrasound imaging sequence.

    Measured: Baseline imaging

  5. VisR Relative Viscosity (RV) in lesion (Study Arm 1)

    Average VisR RV value in lesion. RV - relative viscosity (relative to force applied) of breast tissue measured using a Viscoelastic Response (VisR) ultrasound imaging sequence.

    Measured: Baseline imaging

  6. VisR Relative Viscosity (RV) in surrounding tissue (Study Arm 1)

    Average VisR RV value in area of tissue outside of the lesion. RV - relative viscosity (relative to force applied) of breast tissue measured using a Viscoelastic Response (VisR) ultrasound imaging sequence.

    Measured: Baseline imaging

  7. ARFI PD DoA in lesion (Study Arm 1)

    Ratio of maximum to minimum (DoA) of ARFI PD inside the lesion over four imaging angles

    Measured: Baseline imaging

  8. ARFI PD DoA in surrounding tissue (Study Arm 1)

    Ratio of maximum to minimum (DoA) of ARFI PD in an area of tissue outside of the lesion over four imaging angles

    Measured: Baseline imaging

  9. VisR RE DoA in lesion (Study Arm 1)

    Ratio of maximum to minimum (DoA) of VisR RE inside the lesion over four imaging angles

    Measured: Baseline imaging

  10. VisR RE DoA in surrounding tissue (Study Arm 1)

    Ratio of maximum to minimum (DoA) of VisR RE in an area of tissue outside of the lesion over four imaging angles

    Measured: Baseline imaging

  11. VisR RV DoA in lesion (Study Arm 1)

    Ratio of maximum to minimum (DoA) of VisR RV inside the lesion over four imaging angles

    Measured: Baseline imaging

  12. VisR RV DoA in surrounding tissue (Study Arm 1)

    Ratio of maximum to minimum (DoA) of VisR RV in an area of tissue outside of the lesion over four imaging angles

    Measured: Baseline imaging

  13. ARFI Peak Displacement (PD) in lesion (Study Arm 2)

    Average ARFI Peak Displacement (PD) value inside of lesion. Peak Displacement (PD) - Maximum displacement of tissue in the breast after an Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) excitation.

    Measured: From enrollment to end of neoadjuvant systemic therapy, assessed up to 8 months

  14. ARFI Peak Displacement (PD) in surrounding tissue (Study Arm 2)

    Average ARFI Peak Displacement (PD) value in an area of breast tissue outside of lesion. Peak Displacement (PD) - Maximum displacement of tissue in the breast after an Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) excitation.

    Measured: From enrollment to end of neoadjuvant systemic therapy, assessed up to 8 months

  15. VisR Relative Elasticity (RE) in lesion (Study Arm 2)

    Average VisR RE value in lesion. RE - relative elasticity (relative to force applied) of breast tissue measured using a Viscoelastic Response (VisR) ultrasound imaging sequence.

    Measured: From enrollment to end of neoadjuvant systemic therapy, assessed up to 8 months

  16. VisR Relative Elasticity (RE) in surrounding tissue (Study Arm 2)

    Average VisR RE value in area of tissue outside of the lesion. RE - relative elasticity (relative to force applied) of breast tissue measured using a Viscoelastic Response (VisR) ultrasound imaging sequence.

    Measured: From enrollment to end of neoadjuvant systemic therapy, assessed up to 8 months

  17. VisR Relative Viscosity (RV) in lesion (Study Arm 2)

    Average VisR RV value in lesion. RV - relative viscosity (relative to force applied) of breast tissue measured using a Viscoelastic Response (VisR) ultrasound imaging sequence.

    Measured: From enrollment to end of neoadjuvant systemic therapy, assessed up to 8 months

  18. VisR Relative Viscosity (RV) in surrounding tissue (Study Arm 2)

    Average VisR RV value in area of tissue outside of the lesion. RV - relative viscosity (relative to force applied) of breast tissue measured using a Viscoelastic Response (VisR) ultrasound imaging sequence.

    Measured: From enrollment to end of neoadjuvant systemic therapy, assessed up to 8 months

  19. ARFI PD DoA in lesion (Study Arm 2)

    Ratio of maximum to minimum (DoA) of ARFI PD inside the lesion over four imaging angles

    Measured: From enrollment to end of neoadjuvant systemic therapy, assessed up to 8 months

  20. ARFI PD DoA in surrounding tissue (Study Arm 2)

    Ratio of maximum to minimum (DoA) of ARFI PD in an area of tissue outside of the lesion over four imaging angles

    Measured: From enrollment to end of neoadjuvant systemic therapy, assessed up to 8 months

  21. VisR RE DoA in lesion (Study Arm 2)

    Ratio of maximum to minimum (DoA) of VisR RE inside the lesion over four imaging angles

    Measured: From enrollment to end of neoadjuvant systemic therapy, assessed up to 8 months

  22. VisR RE DoA in surrounding tissue (Study Arm 2)

    Ratio of maximum to minimum (DoA) of VisR RE in an area of tissue outside of the lesion over four imaging angles

    Measured: From enrollment to end of neoadjuvant systemic therapy, assessed up to 8 months

  23. VisR RV DoA in lesion (Study Arm 2)

    Ratio of maximum to minimum (DoA) of VisR RV inside the lesion over four imaging angles

    Measured: From enrollment to end of neoadjuvant systemic therapy, assessed up to 8 months

  24. VisR RV DoA in surrounding tissue (Study Arm 2)

    Ratio of maximum to minimum (DoA) of VisR RV in an area of tissue outside of the lesion over four imaging angles

    Measured: From enrollment to end of neoadjuvant systemic therapy, assessed up to 8 months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted17 Mar 2025
  2. Study start7 Mar 2025
  3. Primary completion25 Aug 2027 (estimated)
  4. Study completion24 Feb 2028 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Other
Time perspective
Other
Enrolment
250 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT06878547
Sponsor's protocol ID
LCCC2449
Other IDs
5R01CA281150-02
Status last verified
May 2026
First submitted
3 Mar 2025
Last updated
2 Jun 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
Yes
Individual data sharing
Yes: Deidentified individual data that supports the results will be shared beginning 9 to 36 months following publication provided the investigator who proposes to use the data has approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB), Independent Ethics Committee (IEC), or Research Ethics Board (REB), as applicable, and executes a data use/sharing agreement with UNC.

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Breast Cancer, run by UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 8 inclusion and 20 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 2 Jun 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Desma Jones (919-843-9463, desma_jones@med.unc.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

ARFI Peak Displacement (PD) in lesion (Study Arm 1) (time frame: Baseline imaging). The study lists 24 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 2 Jun 2026.

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