title: DWI of Prostate Cancer: Optimal b-Value in Clinical Practice.
abstract: Aim. To compare the diagnostic performance of diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) using b-values of 1000 s/mm(2) and 2000 s/mm(2) at 3 Tesla (T) for the evaluation of clinically significant prostate cancer. Matherials and Methods. Seventy-eight prostate cancer patients underwent a 3T MRI scan followed by radical prostatectomy. DWI was performed using b-values of 0, 1000, and 2000 s/mm(2) and qualitatively analysed by two radiologists. ADC maps were obtained at b-values of 1000 and 2000 s/mm(2) and quantitatively analyzed in consensus. Results. For diagnosis of 78 prostate cancers the accuracy of DWI for the young reader was significantly greater at b = 2000 s/mm(2) for the peripheral zone (PZ) but not for the transitional zone (TZ). For the experienced reader, DWI did not show significant differences in accuracy between b-values of 1000 and 2000 s/mm(2). The quantitative analysis in the PZ and TZ was substantially superimposable between the two b-values, albeit with a higher accuracy with a b-value of 2000 s/mm(2). Conclusions. With a b-value of 2000 s/mm(2) at 3T both readers differentiated clinical significant cancer from benign tissue; higher b-values can be helpful for the less experienced readers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Molecular Imaging and Radiotherapy, Fondazione Policlinico "Tor Vergata", Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Guglielmo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Manenti
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Molecular Imaging and Radiotherapy, Fondazione Policlinico "Tor Vergata", Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8585-224X
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nezzo
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Molecular Imaging and Radiotherapy, Fondazione Policlinico "Tor Vergata", Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-8736-6475
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chegai
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Molecular Imaging and Radiotherapy, Fondazione Policlinico "Tor Vergata", Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Erald
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vasili
authors.affiliation: Department of Biopathology and Image Diagnostics, Fondazione Policlinico "Tor Vergata", Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bonanno
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Molecular Imaging and Radiotherapy, Fondazione Policlinico "Tor Vergata", Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Simonetti