Evaluation of precision of multi-compartment model on relaxation properties in breast cancer on 3T using numerical simulation

Abstract

MR relaxation properties of T1 and T2 are well known to alter in cancer, reflecting diseased tissue micro-environment. Multiple compartment models have been developed to better approximate tissue classes within an imaging voxel, allowing more accurate estimation of disease load for more precise treatment planning and monitoring. However, multiple compartment models is more sensitive to noise and suffers from potential overfitting, due to from significantly increased number of variables for fitting exponential functions and consequently more complex cost function. We therefore conducted numerical simulation to establish, the first in the literature, applicability condition of multiple compartment model in breast cancer.