Correlation between apparent diffusion coefficients and HER2 status in gastric cancers: pilot study

Abstract

BackgroundTo evaluate whether apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value of gastric cancer obtained from diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) correlates with the HER2 status.MethodsForty-five patients, who had been diagnosed with gastric cancer through biopsy, were enrolled in this IRB-approved study. Each patient underwent a DWI (b values: 0 and 1,000 sec/mm2) prior to surgery (curative gastrectomy or palliative resection). Postoperative microscopic findings, HER2 status by immunohistochemical analysis and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) were obtained. HER2 status was compared among gastric cancers with various histopathological features using the chi square test. The ADC values of gastric cancers with positive and negative HER2 were compared using the student t test.ResultsA weak yet significant correlation was observed between the mean ADC values and HER2 status (r = 0.312, P = 0.037) and scores (r = 0.419, P = 0.004). The mean ADC value of HER2-positive gastric cancers was significantly higher than those of HER2-negative tumors (1.211 vs. 0.984 mm2/s, P = 0.020). The minimal ADC value of HER2-positive gastric cancers was significantly higher than those of HER2-negative tumors (1.105 vs. 0.905 × 10−3 mm2/s, P = 0.036).ConclusionsIn this pilot study, we have demonstrated that the ADC values of gastric cancer correlate with the HER2 status. Future research is warranted to see if DWI can predict HER2 status and help in tailoring therapy for gastric cancer.

Apparent diffusion coefficients in prostate cancer: correlation with molecular markers Ki‐67, HIF‐1α and VEGF

“…DW‐MRI can provide information on the microscopic structure of tissue by measuring the diffusion of water molecules within tissue . ADC, derived from DW‐MRI, has been used as an imaging biomarker to predict the histopathologic grade, therapeutic response and prognosis of some tumors, including PCa . Based on the clinical utility of tumor biomarkers and ADC in PCa, the current study was designed to examine the association between ADC and pathological parameters and tumor biomarkers.…”

“…The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) can be derived from DW‐MRI, which provides a method to quantitatively analyze the water diffusion in tissue. Previous studies have used ADC as an imaging biomarker to predict the histopathological grade, therapeutic response and prognosis of some tumors, including PCa . However, few studies have concentrated on the association between ADC and these biomarkers in PCa.…”

Whole‐volume apparent diffusion coefficient‐based entropy parameters for assessment of gastric cancer aggressiveness

“…With rapid progress in imaging techniques, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been used more frequently in the preoperative evaluation of gastric cancers owing to its superior soft‐tissue contrast compared to computed tomography (CT) . Especially diffusion‐weighted imaging (DWI), which could reflect the microstructures of tissues in vivo, has been shown to be useful in detecting, differentiating, and characterizing gastric cancers noninvasively based on multiple previous studies …”

Assessment of histological differentiation in gastric cancers using whole-volume histogram analysis of apparent diffusion coefficient maps

“…In quantitative terms, the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values could help differentiate between gastric cancers and normal gastric mucosa as well as between gastric adenocarcinoma and lymphoma . Previous studies have also shown that the ADC values may be helpful as a noninvasive tool for evaluating the histological features, HER‐2 status, and TNM staging of gastric cancer . However, the ADC values of most previous studies were obtained from a region of interest (ROI) that was manually drawn on one slice of the lesion, resulting in possible measurement sampling error and subjective bias.…”

“…16 Previous studies have also shown that the ADC values may be helpful as a noninvasive tool for evaluating the histological features, HER-2 status, and TNM staging of gastric cancer. 7,8,17 However, the ADC values of most previous studies were obtained from a region of interest (ROI) that was manually drawn on one slice of the lesion, resulting in possible measurement sampling error and subjective bias. Moreover, the mean ADC value was the only parameter obtained, which does not reflect the heterogeneity of the entire lesion.…”