Effect of Echo Times on Prostate Cancer Detection on Diffusion Weighted Images at high b-value and Apparent Diffusion Coefficient maps

This study compared the effect of echo times on the detection of prostate cancer on DWI at high b-value and ADC maps. Contrast between benign tissue and cancer increased significantly with higher TE on ADC maps. However, due to increased noise at higher TEs, CNR (study endpoint) was highest at TE 57 ms; higher by 23, 26, 33% than that at TE 70, 150 and 200 ms on ADC maps. CNR, contrast ratio AND auc are higher at lower TE on DWI high-b image. Therefore, the use of lower echo times for DWI and ADC mapping may improve prostate cancer.