Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI for automatic detection of foci of residual or recurrent disease after prostatectomy.

This study aimed to develop an automated procedure for identifying suspicious foci of residual/recurrent disease in the prostate bed using dynamic contrast-enhanced-MRI (DCE-MRI) in prostate cancer patients after prostatectomy.

Data of 22 patients presenting for salvage radiotherapy (RT) with an identified gross tumor volume (GTV) in the prostate bed were analyzed retrospectively. An unsupervised pattern recognition method was used to analyze DCE-MRI curves from the prostate bed. Data were represented as a product of a number of signal-vs.-time patterns and their weights. The temporal pattern, characterized by fast wash-in and gradual wash-out, was considered the "tumor" pattern. The corresponding weights were thresholded based on the number (1, 1.5, 2, 2.5) of standard deviations away from the mean, denoted as DCE1.0, …, DCE2.5, and displayed on the T2-weighted MRI. The resultant four volumes were compared with the GTV and maximum pre-RT prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level. Pharmacokinetic modeling was also carried out.

Principal component analysis determined 2-4 significant patterns in patients' DCE-MRI. Analysis and display of the identified suspicious foci was performed in commercial software (MIM Corporation, Cleveland, OH, USA). In general, DCE1.0/DCE1.5 highlighted larger areas than GTV. DCE2.0 and GTV were significantly correlated (r = 0.60, p < 0.05). DCE2.0/DCA2.5 were also significantly correlated with PSA (r = 0.52, 0.67, p < 0.05). K(trans) for DCE2.5 was statistically higher than the GTV's K(trans) (p < 0.05), indicating that the automatic volume better captures areas of malignancy.

A software tool was developed for identification and visualization of the suspicious foci in DCE-MRI from post-prostatectomy patients and was integrated into the treatment planning system.

Strahlentherapie und Onkologie : Organ der Deutschen Rontgengesellschaft ... [et al]. 2016 Oct 19 [Epub ahead of print]

N Andres Parra, Amber Orman, Kyle Padgett, Victor Casillas, Sanoj Punnen, Matthew Abramowitz, Alan Pollack, Radka Stoyanova

Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1121 NW 14th St, 33136, Miami, FL, USA., Department of Radiology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA., Department of Urology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA., Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1121 NW 14th St, 33136, Miami, FL, USA. .