In Vivo Correlation of Glucose Metabolism, Cell Density and Microcirculatory Parameters in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer: Initial Results Using Simultaneous PET/MRI.
OBJECTIVE
To demonstrate the feasibility of simultaneous acquisition of 18F-FDG-PET, diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and T1-weighted dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (T1w-DCE) in an integrated simultaneous PET/MRI in patients with head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) and to investigate possible correlations between these parameters.


METHODS
17 patients that had given informed consent (15 male, 2 female) with biopsy-proven HNSCC underwent simultaneous 18F-FDG-PET/MRI including DWI and T1w-DCE. SUVmax, SUVmean, ADCmean, ADCmin and Ktrans, kep and ve were measured for each tumour and correlated using Spearman's ρ.


RESULTS
Significant correlations were observed between SUVmean and Ktrans (ρ = 0.43; p ≤ 0.05); SUVmean and kep (ρ = 0.44; p ≤ 0.05); Ktrans and kep (ρ = 0.53; p ≤ 0.05); and between kep and ve (ρ = -0.74; p ≤ 0.01). There was a trend towards statistical significance when correlating SUVmax and ADCmin (ρ = -0.35; p = 0.08); SUVmax and Ktrans (ρ = 0.37; p = 0.07); SUVmax and kep (ρ = 0.39; p = 0.06); and ADCmean and ve (ρ = 0.4; p = 0.06).


CONCLUSIONS
Simultaneous 18F-FDG-PET/MRI including DWI and T1w-DCE in patients with HNSCC is feasible and allows depiction of complex interactions between glucose metabolism, microcirculatory parameters and cellular density.
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital of Leipzig, Liebigstraße 20, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
Matthias
M
Gawlitza
Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Leipzig, Liebigstraße 18, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
Sandra
S
Purz
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital of Leipzig, Liebigstraße 20, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
Klaus
K
Kubiessa
ENT-Department, University Hospital of Leipzig, Liebigstraße 10-14, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
Andreas
A
Boehm
Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Leipzig, Liebigstraße 18, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
Henryk
H
Barthel
Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Leipzig, Liebigstraße 18, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
Regine
R
Kluge
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital of Leipzig, Liebigstraße 20, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
Thomas
T
Kahn
Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Leipzig, Liebigstraße 18, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
Osama
O
Sabri
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital of Leipzig, Liebigstraße 20, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
Patrick
P
Stumpp
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation; D008875:Middle Aged; D018307:Neoplasms, Squamous Cell / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011859:Radiography
D005947:Glucose