The δKtrans DCE-MRI Parameter Provides Early Prediction of Soft-Tissue Sarcoma Therapy Response: Initial Experience

Stephanie Hemmingson¹, Kelly Perlewitz², Megan Holtorf², Ian Tagge¹, William Woodward¹, Christopher Ryan², Charles Springer¹, Wei Huang¹

The Ktrans DCE-MRI parametric biomarker was tested on the first three soft-tissue sarcoma patients undergoing a phase I trial of antiangiogenic potentiatiated preoperative chemoradiotherapy. DCE-MRI data were acquired before therapy, after two weeks of antiangiogenic therapy only, and after eight more weeks of antiangiogenic therapy plus chemoradiotherapy. The % changes in tumor ROI and histogram median Ktrans values after two weeks provided superior early prediction of therapy pathologic response compared to those in tumor size and other kinetic parameters. Median Ktrans value after two weeks exhibited a linear relationship with the % necrosis of surgical specimens after ten weeks.