Associations between ¹⁸F-FDG-PET, DWI, and DCE Parameters in Patients with Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma...

Our purpose was to analyze associations between positron emission tomography (PET), diffusion weighted imaging (DWI), and dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) imaging in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The study involved 34 patients (9 women, 25 men, mean age: 56.7 ± 10.2 years). In all patients a simultaneous ¹⁸F-FDG-PET/MR was performed. DWI was obtained by using of an axial EPI sequence. Minimal ADC values (ADC_min), mean ADC values (ADC_mean), and maximal ADC values (ADC_max) were estimated. DCE MRI was performed by using dynamic T1w DCE sequence. The following parameters were estimated: K_trans, V , and K_ep. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to analyze associations between investigated parameters. In overall sample, ADC_mean correlated significantly with V and K_trans, ADC_min correlated with V , and ADC_max correlated with K_trans and V . SUV_mean tended to correlate slightly with K_trans. In G1/2 tumors, only K_trans correlated well with ADC_max and SUV_mean. In G3 tumors, K_trans correlated well with K_ep and V . V showed significant correlations with ADC_mean and ADC_max. K_trans correlated with ADC_max. K_ep was higher in cancers with N2/3 stages. Tumor metabolism, water diffusion, and tumor perfusion have complex relationships in HNSCC. Furthermore, these associations depend on tumor grading. K_ep may predict lymphonodal metastasizing.