Perfusion estimated with rapid dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging correlates inversely with vascular endothelial growth factor expression and pimonidazole staining in head-and-neck cancer: a pilot study

Stephanie B Donaldson, Guy Betts, Suzanne C Bonington, Jarrod J Homer, Nick J Slevin, Lucy E Kershaw, Helen Valentine, Catharine M L West, David L Buckley

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

PURPOSE: To analyze, in a pilot study, rapidly acquired dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI data with a general two-compartment exchange tracer kinetic model and correlate parameters obtained with measurements of hypoxia and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

METHODS AND MATERIALS: Eight patients were scanned before surgery. The DCE-MRI data were acquired with 1.5-s temporal resolution and analyzed using the two-compartment exchange tracer kinetic model to obtain estimates of parameters including perfusion and permeability surface area. Twelve to 16 h before surgery, patients received an intravenous injection of pimonidazole. Samples taken during surgery were used to determine the level of pimonidazole staining using immunohistochemistry and VEGF expression using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Correlations between the biological and imaging data were examined.

RESULTS: Of the seven tumors fully analyzed, those that were poorly perfused tended to have high levels of pimonidazole staining (r = -0.79, p = 0.03) and VEGF expression (r = -0.82, p = 0.02). Tumors with low permeability surface area also tended to have high levels of hypoxia (r = -0.75, p = 0.05). Hypoxic tumors also expressed higher levels of VEGF (r = 0.82, p = 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS: Estimates of perfusion obtained with rapid DCE-MRI data in patients with head-and-neck cancer correlate inversely with pimonidazole staining and VEGF expression.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1176-83
Number of pages8
JournalInternational Journal of Radiation Oncology - Biology - Physics
Volume81
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 15 Nov 2011

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • Aged
  • Algorithms
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell
  • Cell Hypoxia
  • Coloring Agents
  • Contrast Media
  • Female
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms
  • Humans
  • Kinetics
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Models, Biological
  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic
  • Nitroimidazoles
  • Pilot Projects
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Tumor Burden
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

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