title: Diffusion-weighted and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI in evaluation of early treatment effects during neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To use dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) and diffusion-weighted (DW) MRI at 3 Tesla (T) for early evaluation of treatment effects in breast cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), and assess the reliability of DW-MRI.
  
  
  METHODS
  DW- and DCE-MRI acquisitions of 15 breast cancer patients were performed before and after one cycle of NAC. MRI tumor diameter and volume, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and kinetic parameters (K(trans), v(e)) were derived. The reliability of ADC before NAC was assessed. Changes in MRI parameters after NAC were analyzed, and logistic regression analysis was used to find the best predictors for pathologic response.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The reliability for ADC values was high, with intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.84 (P = 0.001). After one cycle of NAC, MRI tumor diameter (8%, P = 0.005) and tumor volume (30%, P = 0.008) was reduced for all patients, while ADC mean values increased (0.12 mm(2)/s, P = 0.008). The best predictor for treatment response was a change in MRI tumor diameter with mean error rate of 0.167 (13% for responders, 5% for nonresponders, P = 0.291).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Changes in MRI derived tumor diameter and ADC after only one cycle of NAC could provide a valuable tool for early evaluation of treatment effects in breast cancer patients.
authors: Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway.
authors: Line R
authors: LR
authors: Jensen
authors: Benjamin
authors: B
authors: Garzon
authors: Mariann G
authors: MG
authors: Heldahl
authors: Tone F
authors: TF
authors: Bathen
authors: Steinar
authors: S
authors: Lundgren
authors: Ingrid S
authors: IS
authors: Gribbestad
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000494:pharmacology; D004058:Diffusion; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009068:Movement; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media