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We present a standardized protocol for the quantification of T2* relaxation times of tumors using external software. Multi-echo gradient echo images are acquired and fed into the software to create tumor T2* maps and measure tumor T2* relaxation times.
T2* relaxometry is one of the established methods to measure the effect of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles on tumor tissues with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Iron oxide nanoparticles shorten the T1, T2, and T2* relaxation times of tumors. While the T1 effect is variable based on the size and composition of the nanoparticles, the T2 and T2* effects are usually predominant, and T2* measurements are the most time-efficient in a clinical context. Here, we present our approach to measuring tumor T2* relaxation times, using multi-echo gradient echo sequences, external software, and a standardized protocol for creating a T2* map with scanner-independent software. This facilitates the comparison of imaging data from different clinical scanners, different vendors, and co-clinical research work (i.e., tumor T2* data obtained in mouse models and patients). Once the software is installed, the T2 Fit Map plugin needs to be installed from the plugin manager. This protocol provides step-by-step procedural details, from importing the multi-echo gradient echo sequences into the software, to creating color-coded T2* maps and measuring tumor T2* relaxation times. The protocol can be applied to solid tumors in any body part and has been validated based on preclinical imaging data and clinical data in patients. This could facilitate tumor T2* measurements for multi-center clinical trials and improve the standardization and reproducibility of tumor T2* measurements in co-clinical and multi-center data analyses.
Noninvasive quantification of tumor T2* relaxation times in various tissues of the body with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely established1. The rationale for this article is to provide a protocol for the measurement of tumor T2* relaxation times which is independent of scanner software like Osirix2. This will allow uniform analyses of imaging data from different centers, different scanners, and different vendors. Indeed, thousands of users could potentially use the same approach, thereby increasing the standardization of tumor T2* measurements. T2* measurements are used for different purposes by neuroradiologis....
This protocol has been generated for a prospective clinical trial and co-clinical research. The study was compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and approved by the Stanford University institutional review board (IRB). All patients or their legally authorized representative signed a written informed consent, and all children between 7 and 18 years of age signed an assent form.
1. Installing and starting the T2 Fit Map plugin
Figure 10: The T2* map with an ROI overlaid on the metastatic osteosarcoma lesion which shows the mean and standard deviation T2* value. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Our protocol allows us to measure tumor T2* relaxation times based on multi-echo gradient-echo sequences, an external software, and a plugin for creating T2* maps. The critical steps within the protocol are the inclusion of the multi-echo gradient-echo sequence with very short TEs into the scanning protocol, and the monoexponential fit of the multi-echo gradient-echo images using external software. It is important to arrange the input multi-echo gradient-echo images according to their acquisition times. This can be achie.......
This work was in part supported by a grant from the National Cancer Institute, grant number U24CA264298. We thank Dawn Holley, Kim Halbert, and Mehdi Khalighi from the PET/MRI Metabolic Service Center for their assistance with the acquisition of PET/MRI scans at the Lucas Research Center at Stanford. We thank the members of the Daldrup-Link lab for valuable input and discussions regarding this project.
....Name | Company | Catalog Number | Comments |
OsiriX | Pixmeo SARL | https://www.osirix-viewer.com/ | |
3T GE MR 750 | GE Healthcare, Chicago, IL | ||
FERAHEME (ferumoxytol injection) | AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 1100 Winter Street Waltham, MA 02451 |
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