Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 21, 2026
Multi-photon Imaging of Tumor Cell Invasion in an Orthotopic Mouse Model of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Published on: July 25, 2011
Diffusion Relaxation-Correlated Spectroscopic MR Imaging for In Vivo Tumor Heterogeneity and Lymph Node Metastasis
Dongmei Wu1, Siyu Li2,3, Wentao Hu4
1Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance, Institute of Magnetic Resonance and Molecular Imaging in Medicine, School of Physics, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.
Background:
In oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC), cervical lymph node metastasis (CLNM) reduces predicted survival by 50%. However, MRI sensitivity for occult nodal disease is only 35.7%, reflecting limited microstructural specificity.
Purpose:
To investigate whether diffusion-relaxation correlated spectroscopic imaging (DR-CSI) metrics with peritumoral extensions contribute toward the prediction of CLNM in OTSCC.
Study Type:
Prospective.
Population:
99 patients (33 female and 66 male) with pathologically confirmed OTSCC.
Field Strength/Sequence:
3T; a spin-echo echo-planar DR-CSI with 35 contrasts.
Assessment:
Tumor-stroma ratio (TSR), density of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), perineural invasion (PNI) and differentiation status were determined from histology. Tumor greatest diameter and depth of invasion (DOI) were evaluated from MRI. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps and T2 maps were derived from DR-CSI data. Five DR-CSI compartmental metrics in intratumoral and peritumoral regions, VA-VE, were calculated.
Statistical Tests:
Mann-Whitney U-test, Chi-square test, or Spearman correlation analysis. Multivariable logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis for diagnostic performance. Significance criteria: p < 0.05.
Results:
51 patients were CLNM negative. Intratumoral VA in the CLNM-positive group (34.80% ± 18.51%) was significantly lower than that in the CLNM-negative group (47.86% ± 23.37%), while VB (25.07% ± 12.49%) and VD (22.12% ± 11.46%) in the CLNM-positive group were significantly higher than those in the CLNM-negative group. ADC and T2 showed no significant separation (p = 0.084, 0.493, respectively). A multivariable logistic model comprising the significant intratumoral and peritumoral DR-CSI metrics (VA, VB, and VD) together with the morphologic variables (tumor greatest diameter and DOI) achieved an area under curve (AUC) value of 0.792 for CLNM classification, representing a non-significant improvement over the morphologic variables model alone (AUC 0.709, p = 0.069).
Data Conclusion:
The intratumoral and peritumoral DR-CSI metrics, combined with morphologic variables, improved preoperative discrimination of nodal status in OTSCC in this single center cohort, though external validation is warranted.
Evidence Level:
2.
Technical Efficacy:
Stage 2.
