Feasibility of Multiparametric Imaging with PET/MR in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

TY - JOUR

T1 - Feasibility of Multiparametric Imaging with PET/MR in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

AU - Rasmussen, Jacob H

AU - Nørgaard, Martin

AU - Hansen, Adam E

AU - Vogelius, Ivan R

AU - Aznar, Marianne C

AU - Johannesen, Helle H

AU - Costa, Junia

AU - Engberg, Astrid Margareta Elisabet

AU - Kjær, Andreas

AU - Specht, Lena

AU - Fischer, Barbara M

N1 - © 2017 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.

PY - 2017/1/1

Y1 - 2017/1/1

N2 - The purpose of this study was to investigate and assess the correlation and reproducibility of multiparametric imaging in head and neck cancer patients.METHODS: Twenty-one patients were included in this prospective scan-rescan study. All patients were scanned twice on an integrated PET and MRI scanner. Gross tumor volumes were defined on T2-weighted MR images, and volumes of interest were defined on diffusion-weighted MRI and (18)F-FDG PET (VOIDWI, VOIPET). Overlap between volumes was assessed as a percentwise overlap. (18)F-FDG uptake and diffusion were measured using SUV and apparent diffusion coefficient, and correlation was tested across and within patients and as a voxel-by-voxel analysis.RESULTS: Seventeen patients were available for correlation analysis, and 12 patients were available for assessment of tumor overlap. The median tumor overlap between VOIDWI and VOIPET was 82% (VOIDWI in VOIPET) and 62% (VOIPET in VOIDWI) on scan 1 and scan 2, respectively. Across patients, the correlation between SUV and apparent diffusion coefficient was weak and nonsignificant. However, in individual patients a weak but significant correlation was identified on a voxel-by-voxel basis.CONCLUSION: In multiparametric imaging with the integrated PET/MR scanner, the VOIs from DWI and (18)F-FDG PET were both within the target volume for radiotherapy and overlapped substantially although not completely. No correlation between (18)F-FDG uptake and DWI could be found across patients, but within individual patients a statistically significant, but weak, voxel-by-voxel correlation was found. The findings suggest that information on glucose uptake and diffusion coefficient carries complementary information of interest that may be relevant for radiotherapy treatment planning.

AB - The purpose of this study was to investigate and assess the correlation and reproducibility of multiparametric imaging in head and neck cancer patients.METHODS: Twenty-one patients were included in this prospective scan-rescan study. All patients were scanned twice on an integrated PET and MRI scanner. Gross tumor volumes were defined on T2-weighted MR images, and volumes of interest were defined on diffusion-weighted MRI and (18)F-FDG PET (VOIDWI, VOIPET). Overlap between volumes was assessed as a percentwise overlap. (18)F-FDG uptake and diffusion were measured using SUV and apparent diffusion coefficient, and correlation was tested across and within patients and as a voxel-by-voxel analysis.RESULTS: Seventeen patients were available for correlation analysis, and 12 patients were available for assessment of tumor overlap. The median tumor overlap between VOIDWI and VOIPET was 82% (VOIDWI in VOIPET) and 62% (VOIPET in VOIDWI) on scan 1 and scan 2, respectively. Across patients, the correlation between SUV and apparent diffusion coefficient was weak and nonsignificant. However, in individual patients a weak but significant correlation was identified on a voxel-by-voxel basis.CONCLUSION: In multiparametric imaging with the integrated PET/MR scanner, the VOIs from DWI and (18)F-FDG PET were both within the target volume for radiotherapy and overlapped substantially although not completely. No correlation between (18)F-FDG uptake and DWI could be found across patients, but within individual patients a statistically significant, but weak, voxel-by-voxel correlation was found. The findings suggest that information on glucose uptake and diffusion coefficient carries complementary information of interest that may be relevant for radiotherapy treatment planning.

KW - Journal Article

U2 - 10.2967/jnumed.116.180091

DO - 10.2967/jnumed.116.180091

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 27609790

SN - 0161-5505

VL - 58

SP - 69

EP - 74

JO - The Journal of Nuclear Medicine

JF - The Journal of Nuclear Medicine

IS - 1

ER -