Preradiotherapy MR Imaging: A Prospective Pilot Study of the Usefulness of Performing an MR Examination Shortly before Radiation Therapy in Patients with Glioblastoma.
Current protocols in patients with glioblastoma include performing an MR examination shortly after surgery and then 2-6 weeks after ending concomitant chemoradiotherapy. The assessment of this first postradiotherapy examination is challenging because the pseudoprogression phenomenon may appear. The aim of this study was to explore if performing an MR examination shortly before radiation therapy (preradiotherapy MR imaging) could improve the radiologic assessment of patients with glioblastoma.



A preradiotherapy MR imaging examination was prospectively performed before the start of radiation therapy in 28 consecutive patients with glioblastoma who had undergone surgical resection. Tumor response to chemoradiotherapy was assessed twice: with the early postoperative MR examination as baseline and with the preradiotherapy MR imaging examination as baseline. In addition, tumor growth in the preradiotherapy MR imaging examination was evaluated, and its correlation with patient survival was assessed with Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression.



Tumor progression after radiation therapy was found in 16 patients, corresponding to pseudoprogression in 7 of them (44%). Four assessments of pseudoprogression switched to partial response or stable disease when preradiotherapy MR imaging was the baseline examination, and the ratio of pseudoprogression was reduced to 25% (3 of 12). Significant differences in survival were found when patients were stratified according to the pattern of tumor growth on preradiotherapy MR imaging (median overall survival "no-growth," 837 days; "focal-growth," 582 days; "global-growth," 344 days; P = .001).



Performing a preradiotherapy MR imaging examination may improve the clinical management of patients with glioblastoma by reducing the ratio of pseudoprogression assessments and providing prognostic information.
From the Departments of Radiology, Institut de Diagnòstic per la Imatge (C.M., M.C., S.C., A.P., C.A.) cmajos@bellvitgehospital.cat.|Centro de Investigación Red en Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (C.M., C.A.), Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.
C
0000-0003-0468-5150
C
Majós
From the Departments of Radiology, Institut de Diagnòstic per la Imatge (C.M., M.C., S.C., A.P., C.A.).
M
0000-0003-0827-7170
M
Cos
From the Departments of Radiology, Institut de Diagnòstic per la Imatge (C.M., M.C., S.C., A.P., C.A.).
S
0000-0002-8994-8265
S
Castañer
From the Departments of Radiology, Institut de Diagnòstic per la Imatge (C.M., M.C., S.C., A.P., C.A.).
A
0000-0003-4167-8291
A
Pons
Medical Oncology, Institut Català d'Oncologia L'Hospitalet (M.G.).
M
0000-0003-1380-2718
M
Gil
Neurosurgery (A.F.-C.).
A
0000-0003-0418-0339
A
Fernández-Coello
Radiotherapy Oncology, Institut Català d'Oncologia L'Hospitalet (M.M.).
M
0000-0002-7328-4767
M
Macià
Neurology (J.B.), Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.|Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge, IDIBELL (J.B.), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.
J
0000-0001-6895-5047
J
Bruna
From the Departments of Radiology, Institut de Diagnòstic per la Imatge (C.M., M.C., S.C., A.P., C.A.).|Centro de Investigación Red en Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (C.M., C.A.), Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.
C
0000-0003-4406-4623
C
Aguilera
D000328:Adult; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D059906:Neuroimaging / Q000379:methods; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies