Amide proton transfer imaging to predict tumor response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The amount of proteins and peptides can be estimated with amide proton transfer (APT) imaging. Previous studies demonstrated the usefulness of APT imaging to predict tumor malignancy. We determined whether APT imaging can predict the tumor response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). METHODS: Seventeen patients with LARC who underwent a pretherapeutic magnetic resonance examination including APT imaging and NAC (at least two courses) were enrolled. The APT-weighted imaging (WI) signal intensity (SI) (%) was defined as magnetization transfer ratio asymmetry (MTRasym ) at the offset of 3.5 ppm. Each tumor was histologically evaluated for the degree of degeneration and necrosis and then classified as one of five histological Grades (0, none; 1a, less than 1/3; 1b, 1/3 to 2/3; 2, more than 2/3; 3, all). We compared the mean APTWI SIs of the tumors between the Grade 0/1a/1b (low-response group) and Grade 2/3 (high-response group) by Student's t-test. We used receiver operating characteristics curves to determine the diagnostic performance of the APTWI SI for predicting the tumor response. RESULTS: The mean APTWI SI of the low-response group (n = 12; 3.05 ± 1.61%) was significantly higher than that of the high-response group (n = 5; 1.14 ± 1.13%) (P = 0.029). The area under the curve for predicting the tumor response using the APTWI SI was 0.87. When ≥2.75% was used as an indicator of low-response status, 75% sensitivity and 100% specificity of the APTWI SI were obtained. CONCLUSION: Pretherapeutic APT imaging can predict the tumor response to NAC in patients with LARC.

Amide proton transfer imaging can predict tumor grade in rectal cancer.

PURPOSE: To prospectively investigate the ability of amide proton transfer (APT) imaging, in comparison with that of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), to predict pathological factors in rectal cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-two patients who underwent MR examination including APT imaging and DWI for evaluation of rectal cancer were enrolled. APT signal intensity (SI) was defined as the magnetization transfer asymmetry at 3.5 ppm and was mapped. An apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) map was generated using b-values of 0, 500 and 1000 s/mm2. APT SI and ADC were calculated by placing regions-of-interest in the tumors on these maps. Pathological factors including tumor size and tumor grade were also evaluated. Average APT SIs or ADCs were compared between the two groups classified based on each pathological factor using Student's t-test. RESULTS: The average APT SI of tumors with diameters of 5 cm or more (3.09 ±â€¯1.41%) was significantly higher than that of tumors with diameters < 5 cm (1.83 ±â€¯1.38%). In addition, the average APT SI of moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma (2.82 ±â€¯1.51%) was significantly higher than that of well-differentiated adenocarcinoma (1.24 ±â€¯0.57%). There was no difference in ADC between groups classified based on any pathological factor. CONCLUSION: Amide proton transfer imaging can predict tumor grade in rectal cancer.