Study on association between shear wave elastography parameters and clinicopathological characteristics in breast cancer: A protocol for systematic review

BACKGROUND: This study aims to explore the association between shear wave elastography parameters (SWEPs) and clinicopathological characteristics (CPCs) in breast cancer (BC). METHODS: The electronic databases of Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, WANGFANG, VIP, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure will be used to search for studies dated from database inception to the present. No limitations of language and publication status will be applied in this study. Only case-controlled study and randomized controlled trials investigating the association between SWEP and CPC in BC will be included. Cochrane risk of bias will be used to assess study quality for each included study. RevMan 5.3 software will be utilized for statistical analysis. RESULTS: This study will provide accurate data to appraise the association between SWEP and CPC in BC. CONCLUSION: This study will summarize the most recent evidence to improve our understanding of the association between SWEP and CPC in BC. OSF REGISTRATION NUMBER: osf.io/vmkwu.