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Review
Research progress on MRI radiomics in predicting the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer
LI Yuzhu  LIANG Yun  ZHAO Wenhui  LEI Junqiang 

DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.05.029.


[Abstract] The incidence and mortality rates of Breast Cancer (BC) currently rank first among malignant tumors in women. In recent years, Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy (NAC) has been widely used in the treatment of breast cancer. It has been shown to be effective in reducing tumor size, increasing the chances of surgery for patients, and assisting clinicians in identifying non-responsive cases. However, due to tumor heterogeneity and individual differences, not all patients can benefit from NAC. Thus, an accurate and objective evaluation of NAC efficacy is of paramount importance for informing individualized treatment planning in the subsequent phase. Currently, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is widely favored for its non-invasive nature, multi-parameter capability, multi-sequence feature, and high soft-tissue resolution, thereby playing a pivotal role in the diagnosis, treatment and prognostic assessment of breast cancer. With the continuous development of high-precision diagnosis and treatment technologies, breast MRI radiomics has shown increasingly significant potential in the fields of preoperative diagnosis and prognosis prediction. This article reviews the progress of MRI image-based radiomics in predicting the efficacy of NAC for breast cancer. It also identifies the limitations of current research and explores future research directions, aiming to offer insights into precision diagnosis and treatment strategies for breast cancer.
[Keywords] breast cancer;neoadjuvant chemotherapy;magnetic resonance imaging;radiomics;therapeutic effect

LI Yuzhu1, 2   LIANG Yun1, 2   ZHAO Wenhui1   LEI Junqiang2*  

1 The First Clinical Medical College of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China

2 Department of Radiology, the First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China

Corresponding author: LEI J Q, E-mail: leijq2011@126.com

Conflicts of interest   None.

Received  2026-01-26
Accepted  2026-04-14
DOI: 10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.05.029
DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.05.029.

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