Feasibility of oxygen-enhanced (OE) and intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) MRI for detection of HN cancer radiation therapy induced changes

Tumor oxygenation is a biomarker proposed as a predictor of radiation therapy (RT) response. Here, the feasibility of Oxygen-Enhanced MRI, intravoxel incoherent motion, and diffusion kurtosis imaging for monitoring of oxygenation changes in head and neck cancers was evaluated. Seven patients were examined pre- and mid-RT. No relative change in population mean longitudinal relaxation rate was observed following RT. A general increase was noticed in population mean diffusion and capillary perfusion fraction, and a decrease in population mean kurtosis. The implementation of these techniques was clinically feasible, and relative changes in almost every derived biomarker could be observed following RT.