Combined IVIM and DKI MRI in pre-operative assessment of bladder cancer with different stages and grades

This study aimed to determine the feasibility of intravoxel-incoherent-motion(IVIM) and diffusion-kurtosis-imaging (DKI) parameters in differentiating tumor stages and grades of bladder cancers preoperatively. The IVIM-related parameter (true-diffusion-coefficient) and DKI-related parameters (mean-diffusivity; mean-kurtosis) were significantly higher in non–muscle-invasive than muscle-invasive bladder cancers, and in low-grade than high-grade ones (all p <0.05). Robust diagnostic efficacies were separately confirmed with high AUCs for IVIM and DKI in staging and grading bladder cancers, and the optimal efficacy was obtained with combined IVIM and DKI models. Therefore, combined IVIM and DKI might be considered effective in differentiating the stages and grades of bladder cancers.