The goal of this study is to develop and evaluate MR diffusion tensor imaging to improve the delineation and characterization of prostate cancer. Our initial studies indicate that this technique has clear potential to greatly improve current prostate MR exams. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has demonstrated great research and clinical value for brain applications, but due to technical limitations has been of little utility outside of the head. Recent diffusion MRI studies of prostate cancer have demonstrated significant differences in water diffusivity between cancer and normal prostatic tissues. The initial studies used echo- planar imaging (EPI) techniques similar to those typically used in the brain, but this technique suffers from susceptibility-induced spatial distortions and limited compatibility with endorectal coils used clinically for prostate MR exams. In this project we will use a DTI sequence based on single-shot fast spin-echo method (SSFSE), which due to rf refocusing negates the spatial distortions inherent in EPI. In our preliminary results, we demonstrate the feasibility of this technique for high quality diffusion imaging of the prostate that can be directly compared to anatomic locations with negligible spatial distortions. Its compatibility with endorectal coils allows both easy incorporation into routine clinical MR protocols and the advantage of the great ~10fold SNR advantage of endorectal coils over external coils. Our preliminary results demonstrated significant differences in mean diffusivity
| Kurhanewicz, John; Vigneron, Daniel; Carroll, Peter et al. (2008) Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging in prostate cancer: present and future. Curr Opin Urol 18:71-7 |
