Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 21, 2026
Tracking the Mammary Architectural Features and Detecting Breast Cancer with Magnetic Resonance Diffusion Tensor Imaging
Published on: December 15, 2014
Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) change on repeated diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging during
Elisabeth Weiss1, John C Ford2, Kathryn M Olsen3
1Department of Radiation Oncology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 401 College Street, Richmond, VA 23298, USA.
Objectives:
Serial diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) during radiochemotherapy of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is analyzed to investigate the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) as a potential biomarker for tumor response.
Methods:
Ten patients underwent DW-MRI prior to and at three and six weeks during radiochemotherapy. Three methods of contouring primary tumors (PT) were performed to evaluate the impact of tumor heterogeneity on ADC values: PTT: whole tumor volume; PTT-N: PTT-necrosis; PTL: small volume of presumed active tumor with low ADC value. Pretreatment and during-treatment absolute ADC values and ADC value changes were analyzed for PT and involved lymph nodes (LN).
Results:
ADC values for PTT, PTT-N, PTL and LN increased by 8-14% (PT) and 15% (LN) at three weeks, and 19-26% and 23% at 6 weeks post initial treatment (p=0.04-0.002). Average percent ADC value increase was smaller than tumor volume regression (p=0.06-0.0005). Patients with overall survival <12 months had a lower increase of ADC values compared to longer surviving patients (p=0.008 for PTT).
Conclusions:
Significant ADC value increases during radiochemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer were observed. ADC value change during treatment appears to be an independent marker of patient outcome and warrants further investigation.
