R2* Relaxation Affects Pharmacokinetic Analysis of Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI in Cancer and Underestimates Treatment Response at 7 T

Effective transverse relaxivity of gadolinium-based contrast agents is often neglected in dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI). Here, we assess time and tissue dependence of R2* enhancement and its impact on pharmacokinetic parameter quantification and treatment monitoring. Multiecho DCE-MRI was performed at 7 T on mice bearing subcutaneous TOV-21G human ovarian cancer xenografts (n = 8) and on the transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate (TRAMP) model (n = 7). Subsequently, the TOV-21G tumor-bearing mice were treated with bevacizumab and rescanned 2 days later. Pharmacokinetic analysis (extended Tofts model) was performed using either the first echo signal only (standard single-echo DCE-MRI) or the estimated signal at TE = 0 derived from exponential fitting of R2* relaxation (R2*-corrected). Neglecting R2* enhancement causes underestimation of Gd-DOTA concentration (peak enhancement underestimated by 9.4%–16% in TOV-21G tumors and 13%–20% in TRAMP prostates). Median K(trans) and v(e) were underestimated in every mouse (TOV-21G K(trans): 11%–19%, TOV-21G v(e): 5.3%–8.9%; TRAMP K(trans): 8.6%–19%, TRAMP v(e): 12%–21%). Bevacizumab treatment reduced K(trans) in all TOV-21G tumors after 48 hours. Treatment effect was significantly greater in all tumors after R2* correction (median change of −0.050 min(−1) in R2*-corrected K(trans) vs. −0.037 min(−1) in uncorrected K(trans)). R2* enhancement in DCE-MRI is both time- and tissue-dependent and may not be negligible at 7 T in tissue with high K(trans). This has consequences for the use of K(trans) and other DCE-MRI parameters as biomarkers, because treatment effect size can be underestimated when R2* enhancement is neglected.