Diffusion-weighted imaging of prostate cancer: correlation between apparent diffusion coefficient values and tumor...

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Oncology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis and staging rely on various imaging techniques.
• Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values offer insights into tissue microstructure.
• Understanding the relationship between ADC values and tumor biology, such as proliferation, is crucial for accurate assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values can reflect tumor proliferation in prostate cancer (PCa).
• To investigate the correlation between ADC values and cellularity and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) labeling index in PCa.

Main Methods:

• Studied 38 PCa patients and 33 benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) patients using a 1.5 T MRI scanner.
• Acquired diffusion-weighted images (DWIs) and calculated ADC values for PCa, BPH, and peripheral zone (PZ).
• Assessed PCa cellularity via hematoxylin and eosin staining and PCNA labeling index using immunohistochemistry.

Main Results:

• ADC values were significantly lower in PCa (49.32 x 10(-5) mm(2)/s) compared to BPH (86.73 x 10(-5) mm(2)/s) and PZ (126.25 x 10(-5) mm(2)/s).
• PCa exhibited higher cellularity and PCNA labeling index than BPH.
• PCa ADC values showed a negative correlation with cellularity (r = -0.646) and PCNA labeling index (r = -0.446).

Conclusions:

• Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values can differentiate prostate cancer from benign conditions based on proliferative activity.
• ADC values serve as a potential imaging biomarker for predicting the proliferative rate of prostate cancers.