Novel Multi-voxel Based Quantitation of Metabolites and Lipids Non- invasively Combined with Diffusion Weighted Imaging in Breast Cancer

摘要

Purpose: (1) To extend the single-voxel based 2D MRS version of L- COSY to multi-voxel based analogue on a 3T MRI/MRS scanner using the echo- planar imaging (EPI) based spatial encoding for determining metabolic distributions over many voxels; (2) To implement a Matlab-based post-processing algorithm in order to process the 2D COSY data recorded in breast cancer; (3) To record DWI and to calculate ADC maps in breast cancer patients and healthy controls, and iv) To correlate the changes in metabolite and lipid levels with ADC changes in breast cancer patients and healthy women. Scope: Improving the specificity of malignant and benign tumors will be a major outcome. Improved imaging techniques will enable unambiguous measurement of metabolites and the lipids in situ, which could potentially complement the existing diagnostic modalities commonly used in breast carcinoma. Major Findings: Part of the 1st half of the year was spent on securing the HSRRB and UCLA IRB approvals of the protocol. The MR protocol including DWI-MRI and 4D EP-COSI was successfully implemented on a 3T MRI scanner. Report of the Progress: First few months (July 2010-November 2010) were spent on the preparation and resubmission of the IRB protocol to HSRRB and UCLA IRB offices. The proposed protocol including multi- slice DWI-MRI and 4D EP-COSI has been tested in 5 healthy women. The ADC maps using DWI and lipid/water images using EP-COSI have been derived.