Monitoring Treatment Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer by 3D Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Imaging

Bogumil-Krystian Debski¹, Wolfgang Bogner¹, Marek Chmelik¹, Katja Pinker, Thomas Helbich, Siegfried Trattnig¹, Stephan Gruber¹

In this study we evaluate the capability of 3D-MRSI to monitor the treatment response of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer. Eleven patients with histology proven breast cancer were measured before and after chemotherapy on a 3T scanner. Mean SNR-values of choline decreased by 94%, 84% and 21% for excellent, good and poor/non responder, respectively. Further, the number of voxels which contained choline decreased by 92%, 70% and 38% for excellent, good and poor/non responder, respectively. Therefore, the number of choline containing voxels could be an additional marker for treatment response. In conclusion 3D-MRSI can be applied for monitoring treatment response in a clinically feasible measurement time.