Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a preliminary study of the correlations between quantitative parameters and clinical stage.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the relationship between quantitative parameters of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) and clinical stage of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-one newly diagnosed NPC patients received MRI examination on Philips Achieva 3.0 Tesla TX MR system. We used DCE-Tool (Philips Healthcare, Best, The Netherlands) to investigate parameters from primary tumors. Tumor/node/metastasis and corresponding clinical stages were determined based on 2009 UICC 7th edition. The correlations between quantitative parameters and clinical stage were correlated using Pearson correlation analysis.
RESULTS: Mean K(trans) , Kep , ve , and vp for primary tumors were 0.500 ± 0.188/min, 0.744 ± 0.273/min, 0.986 ± 0.595, and 0.052 ± 0.071, respectively. Both K(trans) and Kep of tumors showed moderate negative correlation with clinical stage, T stage and N stage (P < 0.05), while ve showed moderate positive correlation with them (P < 0.05). vp revealed a moderate negative correlation with T stage (r = -0.369; P < 0.004). Kep and ve have significant differences between many early and advanced stages patients.
CONCLUSION: DCE-MRI is feasible to assess vascular permeability of NPC patients. Our results first revealed that the quantitative parameters were significantly related to clinical stage of NPC. Thus, DCE-MRI may be valuable to add noninvasive prognostic indicators in evaluating NPC.