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Associations between tumor vascularization assessed by in vivo DCE‐MRI and the presence of disseminated tumor cells in bone marrow in breast cancer patients at the time of diagnosis
Author(s) -
Nilsen Line B.,
Fangberget Anne,
Geier Oliver M.,
Engebraaten Olav,
Borgen Elin,
Olsen Dag Rune,
Seierstad Therese
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of magnetic resonance imaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.563
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1522-2586
pISSN - 1053-1807
DOI - 10.1002/jmri.24502
Subject(s) - medicine , bone marrow , breast cancer , magnetic resonance imaging , in vivo , dynamic contrast enhanced mri , pharmacokinetics , imaging biomarker , cancer , population , perfusion , nuclear medicine , pathology , radiology , microbiology and biotechnology , environmental health , biology
Purpose To explore possible associations between in vivo pharmacokinetic dynamic contrast‐enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE‐MRI) parameters and the presence of disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) in bone marrow in breast cancer patients at the time of diagnosis. Materials and Methods Thirty‐seven women with breast cancer (stage T2–4N0–1M0) were included. Patients were classified as DTC+ if one or more DTCs were detected by immunocytochemistry. DCE‐MRI was acquired with a radial 3D T 1 ‐weighted spoiled gradient echo sequence with k ‐space weighted image contrast. K trans , k ep , and v e were calculated using the extended Tofts model and a population‐derived arterial input function. The nonparametric Mann–Whitney U ‐test was used to compare the histogram distributions of the pharmacokinetic parameters for the DTC+ and the DTC− patients. Results DTCs were detected in 7 of the 37 patients (19%). In DTC+ patients, the distribution of tumor K trans and k ep were significantly ( P < 0.01) more shifted towards lower values than in DTC− patients. Conclusion An association between vascular dependent pharmacokinetic DCE‐MRI parameters and the presence of DTCs were found. Compared to DTC− patients, DTC+ patients had poorer perfusion and permeability, indicative of hypoxia. Thus, pharmacokinetic parameters might be surrogate biomarkers of metastatic potential and future relapse. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2014;40:1382–1391 . © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc .