The applied research of simultaneous image acquisition of T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in the assessment of patients with prostate cancer

We aimed to evaluate the feasibility of simultaneous image acquisition of multiple instantaneous switchable scan (MISS) for prostate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on 3T. Fifty-three patients were scanned with MRI due to suspected prostate cancer. Twenty-eight of them got histological results. First, two readers assessed the structure delineation and image quality based on images of conventional T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) (CTD). Second, two readers identified the index lesion together, and then, reader one evaluated the contrast of index lesion on T2WI and signal ratio on apparent diffusion coefficient map. Third, they assigned Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) score in consensus for the index lesion. After 4 weeks, the images of MISS were reviewed by the same readers following the same process. Finally, two readers gave preference for image interpretation, respectively. Kappa coefficient, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, paired-sample t-test, Bland–Altman analysis, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis were used for statistical analysis. The acquisition time of CTD was 6 min and 10 s, while the acquisition time of MISS was 4 min and 30 s. Interobserver agreements for image evaluation were κ = 0.65 and κ = 0.80 for CTD and MISS, respectively. MISS-T2WI showed better delineation for seminal vesicles than CTD-T2WI (reader 1: P < 0.001, reader 2: P = 0.001). The index lesion demonstrated higher contrast in MISS-T2WI (P < 0.001). The PI-RADS scores based on CTD and MISS exhibited high ability in predicting clinically significant cancer (area under curve [AUC] = 0.828 vs 0.854). Readers preferred to use MISS in 41.5%–47.2% of cases. MISS showed comparable performance to conventional technique with less acquisition time.