Feasibility of Multiparametric Imaging with PET/MR in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
The purpose of this study was to investigate and assess the correlation and reproducibility of multiparametric imaging in head and neck cancer patients.


METHODS
Twenty-one patients were included in this prospective scan-rescan study. All patients were scanned twice on an integrated PET and MRI scanner. Gross tumor volumes were defined on T2-weighted MR images, and volumes of interest were defined on diffusion-weighted MRI and18F-FDG PET (VOIDWI, VOIPET). Overlap between volumes was assessed as a percentwise overlap.18F-FDG uptake and diffusion were measured using SUV and apparent diffusion coefficient, and correlation was tested across and within patients and as a voxel-by-voxel analysis.


RESULTS
Seventeen patients were available for correlation analysis, and 12 patients were available for assessment of tumor overlap. The median tumor overlap between VOIDWIand VOIPETwas 82% (VOIDWIin VOIPET) and 62% (VOIPETin VOIDWI) on scan 1 and scan 2, respectively. Across patients, the correlation between SUV and apparent diffusion coefficient was weak and nonsignificant. However, in individual patients a weak but significant correlation was identified on a voxel-by-voxel basis.


CONCLUSIONS
In multiparametric imaging with the integrated PET/MR scanner, the VOIs from DWI and18F-FDG PET were both within the target volume for radiotherapy and overlapped substantially although not completely. No correlation between18F-FDG uptake and DWI could be found across patients, but within individual patients a statistically significant, but weak, voxel-by-voxel correlation was found. The findings suggest that information on glucose uptake and diffusion coefficient carries complementary information of interest that may be relevant for radiotherapy treatment planning.
Department of Oncology, Section Radiotherapy, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark jacobrasmu@gmail.com.|Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery and Audiology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Jacob H
JH
Rasmussen
Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine and PET, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.|Neurobiology Research Unit, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; and.
Martin
M
Nørgaard
Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine and PET, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Adam E
AE
Hansen
Department of Oncology, Section Radiotherapy, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Ivan R
IR
Vogelius
Department of Oncology, Section Radiotherapy, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Marianne C
MC
Aznar
Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine and PET, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Helle H
HH
Johannesen
Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine and PET, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Junia
J
Costa
Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine and PET, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Astrid M E
AM
Engberg
Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine and PET, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.|Cluster for Molecular Imaging, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Andreas
A
Kjær
Department of Oncology, Section Radiotherapy, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Lena
L
Specht
Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine and PET, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Barbara M
BM
Fischer
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064847:Multimodal Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; D047368:Tumor Burden
PET/MRI; head and neck; head and neck cancer; multiparametric imaging; oncology; other