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Quantitative study of prostate cancer using three dimensional fiber tractography
Sandeep Hedgire1, Alexey Tonyushkin1, Aoife Kilcoyne1
1Sandeep Hedgire, Alexey Tonyushkin, Aoife Kilcoyne, Jason A Efstathiou, Peter F Hahn, Mukesh Harisinghani, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, United States.
World Journal of Radiology
|May 10, 2016
Summary
Three dimensional (3D) fiber tractography using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is feasible for prostate cancer. This technique may provide a new biomarker, tract density, to differentiate cancerous tissue from healthy prostate tissue.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Oncology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Prostate cancer diagnosis and staging rely on imaging techniques.
- Quantitative imaging biomarkers are needed for improved diagnostic accuracy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the feasibility of 3D fiber tractography for prostate cancer.
- To explore the potential of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics as biomarkers.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of 24 prostate cancer patients using 1.5 T MRI.
- Acquisition of diffusion-weighted images and generation of DTI maps and 3D fiber tracts.
- Analysis of tract density, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), and fractional anisotropy (FA) in tumor and normal tissue.
Main Results:
- DTI tractography revealed complex fiber anatomy within the prostate.
- Significantly lower tract density and ADC in tumor regions compared to normal parenchyma (P < 0.001).
- No significant difference in FA values between tumor and normal tissue (P = 0.3819).
Conclusions:
- 3D DTI tractography is a feasible technique for visualizing prostate fiber architecture.
- Tract density shows promise as a novel imaging biomarker for distinguishing prostate tumors.
