• 2014
  • 2013
  • 2012
  • 2011
  • 2010
  • 2009
  • 2008

The journal «ONCOSURGERY» 2013, Vol.5, No 4

Diffuse-weighted magnetic resonance imaging of the whole body in cancer patients

Bergen TA1, Trophimenko IA2,3

1) Novosibirsk Railway Clinical Hospital on Novosibirsk-glavnyi station, JSCo «RZD», radiology department, Novosibirsk, Russia
2) Military medical academy named by SM Kirov, department of roentgenology and radiology with course of US-diagnostics, Saint-Petersburg, Russia
3) City hospital #40, radiology department, Sestroretsk, Russia
Contact: Bergen TA, e-mail:

The objective. The capabilities of diffuse-weighted magnetic resonance imaging of the whole body in cancer patients are discussed in the article.

Material and methods. From September, 2012 to March, 2013 we developed and tested the technique of diffuse-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) of the whole body in cancer patients. The study was performed with MR-systems with magnetic field intensity of 1,5Т (Magnetom Espree, Siemens); the scan included area from calvarium to middle of the thigh.

Results. We examined 120 patients, 117 of which had verified primary malignant tumors of different localizations out (n=39) or during the course of treatment (n=68). The major number of patients had breast carcinoma (28%), colorectal cancer (27%) and gastric cancer (15%). The correlation was performed using data from other imaging methods (scintigraphy, PET, CT and/or MRI of distinct area with standard protocols), operations, needle biopsy. Not all detected foci may be defined as metastasis because not all foci were morphologically verified, the objective of this study was to compare detecting of potential metastasis in cancer patients by conventional imaging methods (CT, MRI, scintigraphy, PET) versus DW-MRI. For DW-MRI of whole body 371 foci were detected suspicious for neoplasms, 206 (55.5%) of which were metastasis known before investigation, 92 foci (25%) were found the first time due to the study and were considered as metastasis, and 73 foci (19.5%) interpreted as benign. False-positive results included local lesions in lungs (n=4, not found by chest CT), false-negative results included osteosclerotic metastasis (n=1, detected by PET-CT) and lung metastasis (n=1, detected by CT).

Conclusions. DW-MRI of whole body caused change of tactics in treatment (abandoning surgical treatment in favor of chemotherapy, change of extent of surgery etc) in 27% of cases. The first experience showed that capabilities of DW-MRI in detecting of foci suspicious for metastasis consistent with convenient imaging methods (scintigrahy, PET, CT, MRI).

KEY WORDS: magnetic resonance diffusion of whole body, diffuse-weighted image, magnetic resonance imaging, metastasis, oncology.

References

  1. Kim JK, Kim KA, Park BW, Kim N, Cho KS. Feasibility of diffusion-weighted imaging in the differentiation of metastatic from nonmetastatic lymph nodes: early experience. Magn Reson Imaging, 2008; 28: 714-19.
  2. Ashkan A, Riham H El Khouli, Atif Zaheer, et al. Principles and applications of diffusion-weighted imaging in cancer detection, staging, treatment and follow-up. Radiographics, 2013; 31: 1773-91.
  3. Schmidt GP, Kramer H, Reiser RF, et al. Whole-body magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography-computed tomography in oncology. Top Magn Reson Imaging, 2007; 18: 193-202.
  4. Charles-Edwards EM, Nandita M deSouza. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and its application to cancer. Cancer Imaging, 2006; 6: 135-43.
  5. Tsushima Y, Takano A, Taketomi-Takahashi A, et al. Body diffusion weighted MR imaging using high b-value for malignant tumor screening: usefulness and necessity of referring to T2-weighted images and creating fusion images. Acad Radiol, 2007; 14: 643-50.
  6. Yoshiharu Ohno, Hisanobu Koyama, Yumiko Onishi, et al. Non–small cell lung cancer: whole-body MR examination for M-stage assessment − utility for whole-body diffusion-weighted imaging compared with integrated FDG PET/CT. Radiology, 2008; 248(2): 643-54.
  7. Fornasa F, Nesoti MV, Bovo C, Bonavina MG. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in the characterization of axillary lymph nodes in patients with breast cancer. J Magn Reson Imaging, 2012; 36(4): 858-64.

P. 24-27

Publishers
«Oncokhirurgia Info»

10 Vostochnaia ul., suite 16, Moscow, 115280
Tel./fax: +7(499) 426-46-22
Tel.: +7(915) 356-03-07
E-mail:
URL: oncosurgery.oncology.ru


РСХО