title: Feasibility and preliminary experience of quantitative T2* mapping at 3.0 T for detection and assessment of aggressiveness of prostate cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the feasibility of quantitative T2* mapping at 3.0 T for prostate cancer detection and to investigate the use of T2* values to characterize tumor aggressiveness, with whole-mount step-section pathologic analysis as the reference standard.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prostate multiecho T2* was performed in 55 consecutive patients with prostate cancer using a multishot fast-field echo sequence at 3.0 T magnetic resonance imaging. T2* mapping was obtained by exponentially fitting the multiecho T2* images pixel by pixel with different echo times for each slice. Generalized estimating equations were used to test the T2* value difference between normal and malignant prostate regions and the association between T2* value and tumor Gleason scores.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The T2* values of the cancerous prostatic regions (mean: 42.51 ± 0.65 milliseconds) were significantly lower (P < .001) than those of the normal prostatic regions (mean: 74.87 ± 0.99 milliseconds). Adopting a threshold value of 59.27 milliseconds, T2* mapping resulted in 94.8% sensitivity and 77.3% specificity in the identification of prostate cancer. A lower mean T2* value was significantly associated with a higher tumor Gleason score (mean T2* values of 53.53, 43.75, 33.66, and 22.95 milliseconds were associated with Gleason score of 3 + 3, 3 + 4, 4 + 3, and ≥8, respectively P < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  From these preliminary data, quantitative T2* mapping seems to be a potential method in the characterization of prostate cancer. T2* mapping may provide additional quantitative information that significantly correlated with prostate cancer aggressiveness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 1630 Dongfang Road, Shanghai 200127, China.
authors.forename: Lian-Ming
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 1630 Dongfang Road, Shanghai 200127, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Xi
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Han-Qing
authors.initials: HQ
authors.lastname: Xuan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 1630 Dongfang Road, Shanghai 200127, China.
authors.forename: Si-Teng
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Suo
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan.
authors.forename: Jiani
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 1630 Dongfang Road, Shanghai 200127, China. Electronic address: xujianr@yeah.net.
authors.forename: Jian-Rong
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000465:Algorithms; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
keywords: T2* mapping; T2* value; prostate cancer; tumor Gleason scores