David A. Broadbent1, Daniel J. Wilson1, Nisha Sharma2, Barbara J. Dall2, Sarah E. Bacon1, Steven P. Sourbron3, David L. Buckley3
1Medical Physics & Engineering, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom; 2Radiology, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom; 3Division of Medical Physics, University of Leeds, Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
The introduction of quantitative MRI into clinical routine has often been hampered by the need to change and compromise clinical protocols. Here we show how quantitative data can be obtained with minimal interference in the case of DCE-MRI of the breast following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Twenty patients were studied before and after 2 cycles of NAC. All studies were reported in the normal way with the addition of estimates of tumor perfusion, blood volume, capillary permeability and interstitial volume. Tumor perfusion decreased in responders more than in non-responders with no significant changes in the other parameters.