Murine lung tumor measurement using respiratory-gated micro-computed tomography.
OBJECTIVE
The authors explored micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) to quantify lung tumor number and volume in a specific genetic mouse model for lung cancer.


METHODS
The authors used K-ras mice, which develop lung adenomas and adenocarcinomas through somatic activation of the K-ras oncogene. Tumor number measured using micro-CT and were compared at necropsy (n = 38 mice). Tumor volume measurement precision (n = 39 mice) and accuracy (multiple tumors from a single mouse) were evaluated. Serial lung tumor volume was assessed in a pilot group (n = 8) of mice in vivo.


RESULTS
Tumor number assessed at necropsy and using micro-CT were significantly correlated. Lung tumor volume measurements were both reproducible (2% operator variability) and accurate (6% average error). Strikingly, we observed both tumor growth and shrinkage within individual mice.


CONCLUSIONS
Serial measurements provided evidence of tumor heterogeneity, an unexpected finding given the uniformity of the initiating genetic event. Micro-CT may become a powerful tool for murine lung cancer research in vivo.
Cody
Dianna D
DD
Department of Imaging Physics, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. dcody@mdanderson.org
Nelson
Christopher L
CL
Bradley
W Michael
WM
Wislez
Marie
M
Juroske
Denise
D
Price
Roger E
RE
Zhou
Xian
X
Bekele
B Nebiyou
BN
Kurie
Jonathan M
JM
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D000236:Adenoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008852:Microradiography / Q000379:methods*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012119:Respiration; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*