Integrating dynamic contrast‐enhanced magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion kurtosis imaging for neoadjuvant chemotherapy assessment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

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Background Since neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) has proven a benefit for locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), early response evaluation after chemotherapy is important to implement individualized therapy for NPC in the era of precision medicine. Purpose To determine the combined and independent contribution between dynamic contrast‐enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE‐MRI) and diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) in the early monitoring of NAC response for NPC. Study Type Prospective. Population Fifty‐three locally advanced NPC patients. Field Strength/Sequence Four examinations before and at 4, 20, and 40 days after NAC initiation were performed at 3T MRI including DCE‐MRI and DKI (b values = 0, 500, 1000, 1500 s/mm 2 ). Assessment DCE‐MRI parameters ( K trans [the volume transfer constant of Gd‐DTPA], k ep [rate constant], ν e [the extracellular volume fraction of the imaged tissue], and ν p [the blood volume fraction]) and DKI parameters (D app [apparent diffusion for non‐Gaussian distribution] and K app [apparent kurtosis coefficient]) were analyzed using dedicated software. Statistical Tests MRI parameters and their corresponding changes were compared between responders and nonresponders after one or two NAC cycles treatment using independent‐samples Student's t ‐test or Mann–Whitney U ‐test depending on the normality contribution test and then followed by logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analyses. Results The responder group (RG) patients presented significantly higher mean K trans and D app values at baseline and larger , Δ v p(0‐4) , and ΔD app(0‐4) values after either one or two NAC cycles compared with the nonresponder group (NRG) patients (all P < 0.05). ROC analyses demonstrated the higher diagnostic accuracy of combined DCE‐MRI and DKI model to distinguish nonresponders from responders after two NAC cycles than using DCE‐MRI (0.987 vs. 0.872, P = 0.033) or DKI (0.987 vs. 0.898, P = 0.047) alone. Data Conclusion Combined DCE‐MRI and DKI models had higher diagnostic accuracy for NAC assessment compared with either model used independently. Level of Evidence: 2 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2018;47:1208–1216.