Primary prostate cancer characterisation using internal references for 23Na MRI quantification

Aim of this prospective study was to evaluate 23Na MRI of 36 patients with suspected prostate cancer and quantify tissue sodium concentration (TSC) based on internal references. TSC reference regions were defined within both femoral blood vessels (FBV), where TSC showed no significant differences between both sides (3.3±2.2 mM, p=0.076). TSC in the prostate was 39.0±5.3 mM; significantly higher in the peripheral than in the transitional zone (p=0.0004, mean difference 4.7±3.5 mM). Nine lesions were segmented and showed mean TSC of 32.2±5.5, significantly lower than contralateral (p=0.0181). TSC might represent a quantitative biomarker that could improve prostate lesion characterization.