Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in correlation with tongue cancer stages

Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) plays a significant role in tumor stage as it can be used to measure tissue perfusion and permeability of tumors.

To investigate the relationships between both quantitative and semi-quantitative variables obtained from DCE-MRI and tongue cancer stages.

Mean values of K^trans, enhancement ratio (ER), wash-in slope (slope), and the 95th percentile (95%) values of the distribution for K^trans, ER, and slope values (K^trans (95%), ER (95%), and slope (95%), respectively) were calculated for 53 patients with tongue cancers (American Joint Committee on Cancer 8th Edition stage group: 10 in stages I and II, 14 in stage III, 21 in stage IVa, and eight in stage IVb as determined by histopathologic assessment). The relationship between tumor staging and each of the six DCE-MRI parameters was assessed separately using ordinal logistic regression.

The logistic regression analysis revealed that both mean and 95th percentile values of K^trans were significantly and positively correlated with tongue cancer stage (P < 0.01). More aggressive tumor stages had larger kinetic parameter. Moreover, the semi-quantitative parameters, such as ER (95%) and slope (95%), may be more significant predictors for evaluating tongue cancer stages than the mean ER and mean slope.

Both quantitative and semi-quantitative imaging biomarkers are useful for evaluating the stages of tongue cancer, and the indices obtained from DCE-MRI were positively correlated with the tumor stages. These parameters have the potential to non-invasively evaluate the stages of tongue cancer in the clinical setting.