title: Reproducibility of reference tissue quantification of dynamic contrast-enhanced data: comparison with a fixed vascular input function.
abstract: Reference tissues are currently used to analyse dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) data. The assessment of tumour response to treatment with anti-cancer drugs is a particularly important application of this type of analysis and requires a measure of reproducibility to define a level above which a significant change due to therapy can be inferred. This study compares the reproducibility of such quantification strategies with that found using a published, group-averaged uptake curve. It is shown that reference tissue quantification gives poorer reproducibility for most parameters than that found using a group-averaged plasma curve (a change in K(trans) of greater than 41.8% and 16.4% would be considered significant in the two approaches, respectively), but successfully incorporates some of the variability observed in plasma kinetics between visits and provides vascular input functions that, across the group, are comparable with the group-averaged curve. This study therefore provides an indirect validation of the methodology.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research UK Clinical Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Group, Institute of Cancer Research, Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5PT, UK. simon.walker@icr.ac.uk
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Walker-Samuel
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.forename: M O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Leach
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Collins
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D007700:Kinetics; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D009132:Muscles / Q000473:pathology; D011522:Protons; D012015:Reference Standards; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D003287:Contrast Media; D011522:Protons