Magnetization transfer imaging of ovarian cancer:Initial experiences of correlation with tissue cellularity and changes following neoadjuvant chemotherapy
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Authors
Deen, S.S
Mclean, M.A
Gill, A.B
Crawford, R.A.F
Latimer, J
Baldwin, P
Earl, H.M
Parkinson, C.A
Smith, S
Hodgkin, C
Issue Date
2022
Type
Scientific Paper
Language
Keywords
Research Subject Categories::MEDICINE::Surgery::Oncology
Alternative Title
Abstract
Objectives: To investigate the relationship between magnetization transfer (MT) imaging and tissue macromolecules in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) and whether MT ratio (MTR) changes following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT).
Methods: This was a prospective observational study. 12 HGSOC patients were imaged before treatment. MTR was compared to quantified tissue histology and immunohistochemistry. For a subset of patients (n = 5), MT imaging was repeated after NACT. The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to assess for normality of data and Spearman's rank-order or Pearson's correlation tests were then used to compare MTR with tissue quantifications. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to assess for changes in MTR after treatment.
Results: Treatment-naïve tumour MTR was 21.9 ± 3.1% (mean ± S.D.). MTR had a positive correlation with cellularity, rho = 0.56 (p < 0.05) and a negative correlation with tumour volume, ρ = -0.72 (p = 0.01). MTR did not correlate with the extracellular proteins, collagen IV or laminin (p = 0.40 and p = 0.90). For those patients imaged before and after NACT, an increase in MTR was observed in each case with mean MTR 20.6 ± 3.1% (median 21.1) pre-treatment and 25.6 ± 3.4% (median 26.5) post-treatment (p = 0.06).
Conclusion: In treatment-naïve HGSOC, MTR is associated with cellularity, possibly reflecting intracellular macromolecular concentration. MT may also detect the HGSOC response to NACT, however larger studies are required to validate this finding.
Advances in knowledge: MTR in HGSOC is influenced by cellularity. This may be applied to assess for cell changes following treatment.
© 2022 The Authors. Published by the British Institute of Radiology.
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Conflict of interest statement
Competing interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Description
Citation
Deen SS, McLean MA, Gill AB, Crawford RAF, Latimer J, Baldwin P, Earl HM, Parkinson CA, Smith S, Hodgkin C, Jimenez-Linan M, Brodie CR, Patterson I, Addley HC, Freeman SJ, Moyle PM, Graves MJ, Sala E, Brenton JD, Gallagher FA. Magnetization transfer imaging of ovarian cancer: initial experiences of correlation with tissue cellularity and changes following neoadjuvant chemotherapy. BJR Open. 2022 May 2;4(1):20210078. doi: 10.1259/bjro.20210078. PMID: 36105417; PMCID: PMC9459873.