PHYSIOLOGICAL NMR IMAGING OF THE BREAST

这项研究的总体目标是提高检测和 乳腺癌的常规和动态表征方法 核磁共振成像与注射剂联合应用 造影剂。在拟议的工作中，核磁共振成像将用于 检测和量化肿瘤血管生成。 这项工作的重点是开发定量方法，使用超 对比剂注射前后快速回声平面成像(EPI) 消除非特定原因引起的变异的代理 增强模式。也就是说，通过测量病变的T1和 动脉对病变的输入功能，可以定量提取 组织血流动力学参数-血容量和提取流量(EF) 产品--这将为癌症提供一个日益特异的标记物。 因此，这项研究试图发展一种对人的生理核磁共振研究。 乳房几乎没有额外的检查时间，除了 常规的对比度增强研究。 研究的第一部分侧重于验证和优化 这些方法在植入性乳腺肿瘤的动物模型中进行。我们提议， 使用核磁共振成像，测量相关的水交换时间，T1， 和动脉内药物的浓度，并使用 多室组织模型来计算血管体积， 细胞外体积和EF。 这项研究的后一阶段是一项试验性的患者研究 发展了定量方法。这项研究将检验假设是 核磁共振测量的区域血管体积和EF乘积将 与手术组织学确定的血管计数相关 和/或核心活组织检查；以及基本核磁共振的量化 参数将提供对现有核磁共振的关键改进 成像方法。最终，这项工作的目标是产生一个 对乳腺癌的检测越来越敏感和特异。

The overall goal of this research is to improve the detection and characterization of breast cancer using conventional and dynamic Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) imaging in combination with injectable contrast media. In the proposed work, NMR imaging will be used to detect and quantify tumor angiogenesis. This work focuses on developing quantitative methodologies using ultra- fast Echo Planar imaging (EPI) before and during injection of contrast agent to eliminate the' non-specific causes of variations of enhancement pattern. That is, by measuring the T1 of the lesion and the arterial input function to the lesion, one can extract quantitative tissue hemodynamic parameters-blood volume and extraction-flow (EF) product-that will provide an increasingly specific marker for cancer. This research thus seeks to develop a "physiological" NMR study of the breast with little additional exam time beyond that required for a conventional, contrast-enhanced study. The first part of the research focuses on validating and optimizing these methods in animal models of implanted breast tumors. We propose, using NMR imaging, to measure the relevant water exchange times, T1, and arterial concentrations of agent in vivo, and use a multicompartment tissue model to calculate vascular volume, extracellular volume and EF. The latter phase of this research is a pilot patient study of the developed quantitative methods. This study will test the hypothesis is that the NMR-measured regional vascular volume and the EF product will correlate with vessel count determined histologically from surgical and/or core biopsy; and that quantification of the underlying NMR parameters will provide a critical improvement over existing NMR imaging methods. Ultimately, the goal of this work is to produce an increasingly sensitive and specific test for breast cancer.