Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
16
Quantitative Approaches
for Studying the Role of
Collagen in Breast Cancer
Invasion and Progression
Caroline A.
Schneider
The Alliance of Crop, Soil,
and Environmental
Science Societies (ACSESS)
Carolyn A. Pehlke
University of New Mexico
Karissa Tilbury
University of
Wisconsin—Madison
16.1 Collagen and Breast Cancer ............................................................373
Breast Cancer and Tissue Density • Collagen I and Breast
Cancer • Collagen as a Cancer Biomarker: Tumor Associated
Collagen Signatures • Collagen as a Therapeutic Target
16.2 Imaging Methods..............................................................................378
Nonlinear Imaging Techniques for Collagen
Characterization • SHG versus Gold Standard Histology
Approaches
16.3 Quantifying SHG Data ....................................................................382
The Need for Improved Computational Methods • Digital Signal
Processing for Collagen Analysis • The Curvelet Transform • The
Future of Collagen Imaging by SHG
References......................................................................................................386
Ruth Sullivan
University of
Wisconsin—Madison
Kevin W. Eliceiri
University of
Wisconsin—Madison
Patricia J. Keely
University of
Wisconsin—Madison
16.1 collagen and Breast cancer
16.1.1 Breast cancer and tissue Density
About one in eight women in the United States will develop invasive breast cancer in her lifetime, according to
data compiled by the American Cancer Society (http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancer/overviewguide/
breast-cancer-overview-key-statistics). Although death rates from breast cancer have been decreasing since
1990, breast cancer is still the second leading cause of cancer deaths in American women after lung cancer. In
2011, there were more than 2.6 million breast cancer survivors in the United States. Significant risk factors for
breast cancer include family history, age, and genetic mutations (i.e., BRCA1 and BRCA2).
Another significant and emerging risk factor associated with the development of breast cancer is
mammographic density [1]. The appearance of breast tissue upon mammography reflects variation in
tissue composition. Dark regions indicate fat cells, while lighter areas signify denser tissue made up of
epithelial cells and stroma [2,3]. The portion of tissue made up of denser regions is characterized as the
percent mammographic density (PMD).
High PMD has been shown to be strongly associated with breast cancer risk [4]. More than 50 studies
over the past 30 years have investigated this association. The consistency of the correlation between high
PMD and breast cancer places it among risk factors such as age or presence of atypia upon biopsy [3]. A
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