Correlations between Apparent Diffusion Coefficient and Gleason Score in Prostate Cancer: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Oncology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Inconsistent data exists on the association between apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) from diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and Gleason score in prostate cancer (PC).
• Accurate prediction of Gleason score is crucial for effective PC management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and analyze the relationship between ADC values and Gleason score in prostate cancer.
• To clarify the predictive value of ADC for Gleason score across different prostate cancer locations.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted across MEDLINE, SCOPUS, and EMBASE databases up to April 2018.
• 39 studies comprising 2457 patients were included, extracting data on patient numbers, cancer localization, and ADC-Gleason score correlations.
• Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to analyze the associations.

Main Results:

• The overall pooled correlation coefficient between ADC and Gleason score was -0.45.
• In prostate cancer located in the peripheral zone, a moderate correlation (pooled coefficient = -0.48) was observed.
• In prostate cancer within the transitional zone, a weak correlation (pooled coefficient = -0.22) was found.

Conclusions:

• ADC demonstrates a moderate correlation with Gleason score in prostate cancer of the peripheral zone.
• The correlation between ADC and Gleason score is weak in prostate cancer located in the transitional zone.
• ADC shows potential as a non-invasive biomarker for predicting Gleason score in specific prostate cancer regions.