Diffusion-weighted imaging of normal and malignant prostate tissue at 3.0T

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Oncology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Prostate cancer diagnosis often relies on imaging techniques.
• Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) provides information about tissue microstructure.
• Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) is a quantitative measure derived from DWI.

Purpose of the Study:

• To measure ADC values in normal and malignant prostate tissues at 3.0T using advanced MRI techniques.
• To assess the effectiveness of ADC values in distinguishing prostate tumors from normal peripheral zone (PZ).

Main Methods:

• ADC values were calculated for 49 prostate cancer patients (tumor and PZ) and nine healthy volunteers (central gland and PZ).
• A 3.0T MRI scanner with a phased-array coil and parallel imaging was utilized.
• Single-shot echo-planar imaging (EPI) DWI with b-values of 0 and 500 s/mm² was employed.

Main Results:

• Tumor ADC values (1.38 ± 0.32 x 10⁻³ mm²/s) were significantly lower than those of patient PZ (1.95 ± 0.50 x 10⁻³ mm²/s) and volunteer PZ (1.60 ± 0.25 x 10⁻³ mm²/s).
• A notable overlap in ADC values was observed between malignant and normal prostate tissues.
• P-values indicated statistically significant differences between tumor and PZ ADC values (P < 0.001 for patient PZ, P = 0.031 for volunteer PZ).

Conclusions:

• 3.0T DWI with a phased-array coil and parallel imaging enables ADC calculation in the prostate.
• Lower ADC values are associated with prostate tumors compared to normal-appearing PZ.
• Significant intersubject variability in ADC values necessitates careful interpretation for clinical differentiation.