Diffusion-weighted MR Imaging for Determination of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Early detection of the response of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to yttrium-90 radioembolization therapy may be important to permit repeat radioembolization or alternative treatment options. Water-mobility measurements with use of diffusion-weighted (DW) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging are useful for noninvasive interrogation of microstructural tissue properties. Findings of DW MR imaging may serve as an early biomarker of HCC response. This study tested the hypothesis that DWMR imaging can detect changes in tumor tissue water diffusion in response to 90Y therapy. In each of six patients with HCC included in the study, tumor water diffusion increased significantly after therapy. DWMR imaging is a promising technique for noninvasive assessment of tumor response to 90Y radioembolization. J Vasc Interv Radiol 2006; 17:1195–1200 Abbreviations: ADC apparent diffusion coefficient, DW diffusion-weighted, HCC hepatocellular carcinoma, TACE transcatheter arterial chemoembo-lization HEPATOCELLULAR carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cancer world-wide in men (1) and the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States (2). Surgical resection or live