Research Progress on Ultrasound Radiomics in Preoperative Prediction of Axillary Lymph Node Metastasis in Breast Cancer

Axillary lymph node (ALN) metastasis is a critical factor influencing prognosis and treatment strategies in breast cancer patients. However, traditional methods—ranging from physical examination to ultrasound—often lack the precision required for clinical decision-making. In recent years, ultrasound radiomics and deep learning have emerged as promising solutions, leveraging high-throughput quantitative features from ultrasound images to enhance detection accuracy. This review explores the development and application of radiomics and deep learning across multiple ultrasound modalities (grayscale, elastography, and contrast-enhanced ultrasound), as well as in multimodal imaging approaches that integrate ultrasound with MRI and PET/CT, underscoring the benefits of incorporating clinicopathological variables to boost predictive performance. These studies provide a vital foundation for personalized treatment and precision medicine in breast cancer management.