Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the metastatic potential of tumors: a preclinical study of cervical carcinoma and melanoma xenografts.
BACKGROUND
Gadolinium diethylene-triamine penta-acetic acid (Gd-DTPA)-based dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) has been suggested to be a useful non-invasive method for providing biomarkers for personalized cancer treatment. In this preclinical study, we investigated whether Gd-DTPA-based DCE-MRI may have the potential to differentiate between poorly and highly metastatic tumors.


METHODS
CK-160 cervical carcinoma and V-27 melanoma xenografts were used as tumor models. Fifty-six tumors were imaged, and parametric images of K(trans) (the volume transfer constant of Gd-DTPA) and v(e) (the fractional distribution volume of Gd-DTPA) were produced by pharmacokinetic analysis of the DCE-MRI series. The host mice were examined for lymph node metastases immediately after the DCE-MRI.


RESULTS
Highly metastatic tumors showed lower values for median K(trans) than poorly metastatic tumors (p = 0.00033, CK-160; p < 0.00001, V-27). Median v(e) was lower for highly than for poorly metastatic V-27 tumors (p = 0.047), but did not differ significantly between metastatic and non-metastatic CK-160 tumors (p > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
This study supports the clinical attempts to establish DCE-MRI as a method for providing biomarkers for tumor aggressiveness and suggests that tumors showing low K(trans) and low ve values may have high probability of lymphogenous metastatic dissemination.
Group of Radiation Biology and Tumor Physiology, Department of Radiation Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Kirsti Marie
KM
Øvrebø
Christine
C
Ellingsen
Tord
T
Hompland
Einar K
EK
Rofstad
D000818:Animals; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D011880:Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*
D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA