Simultaneous T2/T2* quantification for oxygen extraction fraction estimation using GE-SE EPIK: A preliminary study in brain tumor patients

The versatile information provided by simultaneous multi-contrast GE/SE acquisitions keeps interest in this area high. This work extends the previously published 10-echo GE-SE EPIK to investigate brain tumor patients. Within this scope, a single-slice 12-second acquisition provides quantification of T2 and T2* with application to oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) information. Data from four tumor patients were acquired, revealing increased T2/T2* values and increased OEF in regions with variable amino acid uptake in O-(2-18Ffluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine (FET) PET.