Imaging blood flow in brain tumors using arterial spin labeling

Measurements of tumor blood flow (TBF) are important for understanding tumor physiology and can be valuable in selecting and evaluating therapies. Brain tumors typically present reduced blood flows compared to normal brain tissue. This study shows that the arterial spin labeling (ASL) technique can be used to measure TBF non-invasively in a rat glioma model. Results show that TBF in the core (36.3 +/- 18.9 ml/100g/min, n=4) and peripheral regions (85.3 +/- 26.9 ml/100g/min, n=4) of the tumor are significantly reduced and show considerable heterogeneity compared to cerebral blood flow (CBF) of normal brain tissue (147.7 +/- 31.1 ml/100g/min, n=4), while T(1) in the tumor (2.6 +/- 0.1 sec) is significantly elevated compared to normal tissue T(1) (2.0 +/- 0.0 sec). These results strongly support the feasibility of using the ASL technique to evaluate different cancer treatment strategies, to monitor the effects of agents designed to modulate TBF and oxygenation (e.g., carbogen gas), and to assess and guide the use of anti-angiogenic agents. Magn Reson Med 44:169-173, 2000.