Investigating the Correlation of Ktrans With Semi-Quantitative MRI Parameters Towards More Robust and Reproducible Perfusion Imaging Biomarkers in Three Cancer Types

IEEE J Biomed Health Inform. 2019 Sep;23(5):1855-1862. doi: 10.1109/JBHI.2018.2888979. Epub 2018 Dec 20.

Abstract

MRI Imaging biomarkers (IBs) have the potential to deliver quantitative cancer descriptors of pathophysiology for non-invasively screening, diagnosing, and monitoring cancer patients across the cancer continuum. Despite a worldwide effort to standardize IBs involving major cancer organizations, significant variability of MR-based imaging biomarker across sites still hampers their clinical translation calling for more research in the field. To this end, in the present study quantitative and semi-quantitative approaches for perfusion biomarkers are compared in MRI data from three different cancer types. In particular, Ktrans a widely used but often variable across sites candidate biomarker is compared to a semi-quantitative perfusion MRI imaging biomarker (Wash-in WIN) in patients with breast, head, and neck and soft tissue sarcoma. Our results demonstrated a linear relationship between WIN and Ktrans in all cancer patients groups when a goodness of fit (high R2) criterion for ensuring adequate data quality and accuracy is met. This consistent correlation across three different cancer types indicates that the proposed semi-quantitative perfusion MRI IB can be a simpler, more robust and reproducible alternative to Ktrans for quantitative perfusion studies in oncology.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms
  • Humans
  • Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / methods*
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods*
  • Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
  • Perfusion Imaging / methods*