Correlation of diffusion-weighted MRI with whole mount radical prostatectomy specimens

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Oncology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Prostate cancer diagnosis and staging rely on accurate imaging.
• Diffusion-weighted MRI (DW-MRI) offers insights into tissue microstructure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values in benign central gland (bCG), benign peripheral zone (bPZ), and prostate cancer.
• To validate MRI findings with whole mount pathological specimens.

Main Methods:

• 11 patients with biopsy-proven prostate cancer underwent DW-MRI before radical prostatectomy.
• Single-shot echo planar imaging with b-values of 0, 300, 500, and 800 s/mm² was used.
• Regions of interest were drawn on ADC maps and compared with whole mount specimens.

Main Results:

• Mean ADC values: bCG = 1.5 x 10⁻³ mm²/s, bPZ = 1.7 x 10⁻³ mm²/s, Cancer = 1.3 x 10⁻³ mm²/s.
• Significant differences in ADC were observed between benign tissue and cancer, particularly at lower b-values (0-300 s/mm²).
• ADC values for bPZ vs. cancer showed a mean difference of 0.34 (p=0.003).

Conclusions:

• Whole mount specimen verification confirms a significant difference in ADC between benign prostate tissue and prostate cancer.
• DW-MRI with ADC mapping is a valuable tool for differentiating prostate cancer from benign conditions.