Propelling quantitative MRI techniques from bench to bedside, Quantitative MRI in Cancer presents a range of quantitative MRI methods for assessing tumor biology. It includes biophysical and theoretical explanations of the most relevant MRI techniques as well as examples of these techniques in cancer applications.The introductory part of the book c
Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging is a ‘go-to’ reference for methods and applications of quantitative magnetic resonance imaging, with specific sections on Relaxometry, Perfusion, and Diffusion. Each section will start with an explanation of the basic techniques for mapping the tissue property in question, including a description of the challenges that arise when using these basic approaches. For properties which can be measured in multiple ways, each of these basic methods will be described in separate chapters. Following the basics, a chapter in each section presents more advanced and recently proposed techniques for quantitative tissue property mapping, with a concluding chapter on clinical applications. The reader will learn: The basic physics behind tissue property mapping How to implement basic pulse sequences for the quantitative measurement of tissue properties The strengths and limitations to the basic and more rapid methods for mapping the magnetic relaxation properties T1, T2, and T2* The pros and cons for different approaches to mapping perfusion The methods of Diffusion-weighted imaging and how this approach can be used to generate diffusion tensor maps and more complex representations of diffusion How flow, magneto-electric tissue property, fat fraction, exchange, elastography, and temperature mapping are performed How fast imaging approaches including parallel imaging, compressed sensing, and Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting can be used to accelerate or improve tissue property mapping schemes How tissue property mapping is used clinically in different organs Structured to cater for MRI researchers and graduate students with a wide variety of backgrounds Explains basic methods for quantitatively measuring tissue properties with MRI - including T1, T2, perfusion, diffusion, fat and iron fraction, elastography, flow, susceptibility - enabling the implementation of pulse sequences to perform measurements Shows the limitations of the techniques and explains the challenges to the clinical adoption of these traditional methods, presenting the latest research in rapid quantitative imaging which has the possibility to tackle these challenges Each section contains a chapter explaining the basics of novel ideas for quantitative mapping, such as compressed sensing and Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting-based approaches
Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging for cancer is an invaluable noninvasive imaging tool with superior tissue contrast and greater specificity for disease than other imaging modalities; however, MRI is costly and lengthy, making it difficult to deploy quantitative imaging techniques alongside existing clinical protocols. Moreover, radiologists require high spatial resolution images for anatomical interpretation, which is not often reconcilable with the need for high temporal resolution in dynamic quantitative imaging schemes. The purpose of this dissertation is to develop novel analysis and acquisition methods that support fast quantitative imaging for substantiating clinical protocols without necessitating significantly longer scan times, thereby providing opportunity for clinical deployment of quantitative MRI protocols. This purpose is achieved through three distinct approaches. First, we take high temporal resolution dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI data from women with locally advanced breast cancer and retrospectively abbreviate the data to varying degrees. We subsequently analyze the full-length and abbreviated datasets with perfusion models and assess the agreement between the quantitative parameters from the full-length and abbreviated analyses, showing that scans can be shortened by up to 58%. Second, using fully sampled variable-flip angle raw data of the brain from healthy volunteers, we retrospectively accelerate the raw data by 8- to 36-fold and apply an untrained deep learning method with physics-based regularization to reconstruct the anatomical images while simultaneously computing the relevant quantitative parameter map. We achieve images with high spatial resolution and quantitative maps that agree strongly with the quantitative information computed from the fully sampled data. Finally, with the purpose of noninvasively describing tumor heterogeneity, we identify three distinct tumor habitats by clustering multiparametric quantitative information from diffusion-weighted and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI data from a murine model of glioma collected at multiple imaging visits. We subsequently model the growth of the tumor habitats over time with a system of ordinary differential equations, thereby establishing a computationally fast pipeline for noninvasive tumor habitat growth prediction. Overall, these approaches yield novel methods that enable fast acquisition of quantitative MRI data as well as pipelines for retrospective abbreviation and analysis of existing quantitative MRI data
The purpose of the study was to examine the influence of external beam radiation on the prostate and prostate cancer using novel quantitative MRI techniques. Twenty-two men, previously diagnosed with prostate cancer, were studied using T1 and T2 relaxation mapping and contrast agent kinetic methods before and after treatment by radiotherapy. The MRI findings will be correlated with biochemical (prostate specific antigen) progression and biopsy results. All 22 patients have been recruited and studied pre-treatment. So far nineteen patients have returned for follow-up MRI. The data is both complete and of a high quality. Data analysis of the pre-treatment phase has provided important and novel information about the microvascular characteristics of prostate cancer. These results have been accepted for publication in the leading radiology journal. Preliminary analysis of the post- treatment data is promising and awaits clinical interpretation.
Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging is a 'go-to' reference for methods and applications of quantitative magnetic resonance imaging, with specific sections on Relaxometry, Perfusion, and Diffusion. Each section will start with an explanation of the basic techniques for mapping the tissue property in question, including a description of the challenges that arise when using these basic approaches. For properties which can be measured in multiple ways, each of these basic methods will be described in separate chapters. Following the basics, a chapter in each section presents more advanced and recently proposed techniques for quantitative tissue property mapping, with a concluding chapter on clinical applications. The reader will learn: The basic physics behind tissue property mapping How to implement basic pulse sequences for the quantitative measurement of tissue properties The strengths and limitations to the basic and more rapid methods for mapping the magnetic relaxation properties T1, T2, and T2* The pros and cons for different approaches to mapping perfusion The methods of Diffusion-weighted imaging and how this approach can be used to generate diffusion tensor maps and more complex representations of diffusion How flow, magneto-electric tissue property, fat fraction, exchange, elastography, and temperature mapping are performed How fast imaging approaches including parallel imaging, compressed sensing, and Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting can be used to accelerate or improve tissue property mapping schemes How tissue property mapping is used clinically in different organs Structured to cater for MRI researchers and graduate students with a wide variety of backgrounds Explains basic methods for quantitatively measuring tissue properties with MRI - including T1, T2, perfusion, diffusion, fat and iron fraction, elastography, flow, susceptibility - enabling the implementation of pulse sequences to perform measurements Shows the limitations of the techniques and explains the challenges to the clinical adoption of these traditional methods, presenting the latest research in rapid quantitative imaging which has the possibility to tackle these challenges Each section contains a chapter explaining the basics of novel ideas for quantitative mapping, such as compressed sensing and Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting-based approaches
Tumor initiation, growth, and invasion are tightly coupled to the characteristics of the available blood supply. In particular, both the quantity and quality of the blood supply entering and permeating a tumor largely determines its access to nutrients, oxygen, and systemic therapies; therefore, the vasculature plays a central role in proliferation, intratumoral heterogeneity, and treatment response. Thus, rigorous characterization of tumor-associated vascular features, including morphology, hemodynamics and interstitial transport, is of great importance. The purpose of this dissertation is to develop a computational-experimental approach for advancing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques that quantify blood perfusion and interstitial transport through breast tumors to yield robust diagnostic metrics. Specifically, we propose a novel framework of quantitative MRI analysis that integrates novel characterizations of tumor vasculature and physiology with computational fluid dynamic simulations to determine tumor-associated blood supply and interstitial transport characteristics unique to each patient. This framework is systematically validated and optimized in silico using a dynamic digital phantom and virtual MRI simulation. We show that characterization of tumor-associated vascular morphology and hemodynamics can be achieved on a patient-specific basis, and can assist in the diagnosis of suspicious breast lesions. The results contained in this Dissertation suggest a fundamentally new way to employ MRI for the quantitative evaluation of breast cancer
Over the past decade, fluorine (19F) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has garnered significant scientific interest in the biomedical research community owing to the unique properties of fluorinated materials and the 19F nucleus. Fluorine has an intrinsically sensitive nucleus for MRI. There is negligible endogenous 19F in the body and thus there is no background signal. Fluorine-containing compounds are ideal tracer labels for a wide variety of MRI applications. Moreover, the chemical shift and nuclear relaxation rate can be made responsive to physiology via creative molecular design. This book is an interdisciplinary compendium that details cutting-edge science and medical research in the emerging field of 19F MRI. Edited by Ulrich Flögel and Eric Ahrens, two prominent MRI researchers, this book will appeal to investigators involved in MRI, biomedicine, immunology, pharmacology, probe chemistry, and imaging physics.
This fifth edition of the most accessible introduction to MRI principles and applications from renowned teachers in the field provides an understandable yet comprehensive update. Accessible introductory guide from renowned teachers in the field Provides a concise yet thorough introduction for MRI focusing on fundamental physics, pulse sequences, and clinical applications without presenting advanced math Takes a practical approach, including up-to-date protocols, and supports technical concepts with thorough explanations and illustrations Highlights sections that are directly relevant to radiology board exams Presents new information on the latest scan techniques and applications including 3 Tesla whole body scanners, safety issues, and the nephrotoxic effects of gadolinium-based contrast media
MR is a powerful modality. At its most advanced, it can be used not just to image anatomy and pathology, but to investigate organ function, to probe in vivo chemistry, and even to visualise the brain thinking. However, clinicians, technologists and scientists struggle with the study of the subject. The result is sometimes an obscurity of understanding, or a dilution of scientific truth, resulting in misconceptions. This is why MRI from Picture to Proton has achieved its reputation for practical clarity. MR is introduced as a tool, with coverage starting from the images, equipment and scanning protocols and traced back towards the underlying physics theory. With new content on quantitative MRI, MR safety, multi-band excitation, Dixon imaging, MR elastography and advanced pulse sequences, and with additional supportive materials available on the book's website, this new edition is completely revised and updated to reflect the best use of modern MR technology.
