Differentiation of noncancerous tissue and cancer lesions by apparent diffusion coefficient values in transition and peripheral zones of the prostate.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of prostate cancer in both the peripheral zone (PZ) and the transition zone (TZ) with those of benign tissue in the same zone using echo-planar diffusion weighted imaging with a parallel imaging technique.


METHODS
A total of 29 consecutive male patients (mean age 61.3 years, age range 53-88 years) with suspected prostate cancer were referred for MR imaging. All patients underwent transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided biopsy of the prostate after MR imaging at 1.5 T, including ADC. For each patient, seven to 10 specimens were obtained from the prostate, and regions of interest (ROIs) were drawn on the ADC map by referring to the urologist's illustration of TRUS-guided biopsy sites. ADC values of cancerous tissue in both the PZ and TZ were compared to those of noncancerous tissue in the same zone.


RESULTS
Out of 29 patients, 23 had cancer tissue. In the 23 patients with cancer, the mean ADC value of all cancer ROIs and that of all noncancer ROIs, respectively, were 1.11 +/- 0.41 x 10(-3) and 1.68 +/- 0.40 x 10(-3) mm(2)/second (values are mean +/- SD) (P < 0.01). The mean ADC value of TZ cancer ROIs and that of TZ noncancer ROIs, respectively, were 1.13 +/- 0.42 x 10(-3) and 1.58 +/- 0.37 x 10(-3) mm(2)/second (P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
ADC measurement with a parallel imaging technique showed that ADC values of prostate cancer in both the PZ and TZ were significantly lower than those of benign tissue in the PZ and TZ, respectively.
Sato
Chiho
C
Department of Radiology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
Naganawa
Shinji
S
Nakamura
Tatsuya
T
Kumada
Hisashi
H
Miura
Shunichi
S
Takizawa
Osamu
O
Ishigaki
Takeo
T
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004058:Diffusion; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011467:Prostate / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D014463:Ultrasonography