Non-Invasive Imaging and Quantitative Readout of HCC Progression and Metastatic Development Using MRI

Lingyun Hu¹, Ashley Aronow², Lakshmi Raj², Erica C. Henning¹

In this study, we employed combined MDEFT/RARE for non-invasive, longitudinal monitoring of HCC progression with high sensitivity and reliability. We were able to diagnose and quantify primary HCC tumor volume and secondary liver metastasis without contrast agent and without respiratory triggering. We achieved higher CNR than previous reports employing Gd-DTPA or Gd-EOB-DTPA, with a detection limit of 1mm diameter HCC versus 2mm reported. With easy setup and no contrast agent or respiratory triggering required, MDEFT/RARE provides a powerful alternative for accurate quantification of HCC, with relatively high throughput, improved study power, and reduction in animal use.