Characterizing blood volume fraction (BVF) in a VX2 tumor

Neovascular proliferation of a tumor's blood supply is an important precursor of malignant growth. Evaluation of blood volume may provide useful information for the characterization, prognosis and response of tumors to therapy. The purpose of this study was to determine and compare the blood volume of tumor tissue measured noninvasively by MRI and microbubble contrast ultrasound imaging.

Twenty-two rabbits injected with VX2 tumors were studied. The blood volume fraction in tumor and muscle tissue was obtained from MRI T(1)-weighted images using a blood-pool agent, Clariscan, and by ultrasound using Definity and pulse inversion imaging.

Similar results were obtained from MRI and ultrasound. Estimation of the blood volume in tissue in the rim of a VX2 tumor 1.5 to 5.0 cm in diameter relative to that in the surrounding muscle was (mean+/-S.D.) 3.31+/-1.43 by MRI and 2.99+/-1.83 by ultrasound. The blood volume in the tissue relative to the total tissue volume (relative blood volume fraction) measured by MRI was 13+/-4.1% in tumor versus 4+/-1.4% in muscle (P<.01). Our data also suggested that, compared to the distribution volume of an extracellular contrast agent, Gd-DTPA, Clariscan as an intravascular agent demonstrated high-quality depictions of vascular structure of the tumor.