Regarding the focal treatment of prostate cancer: inference of the Gleason grade from magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging.

Abstract

To quantify, as a function of average magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) score and tumor volume, the probability that a cancer-suspected lesion has an elevated Gleason grade. The data consist of MRS imaging ratios R stratified by patient, lesion (contiguous abnormal voxels), voxels, biopsy and pathologic Gleason grade, and lesion volume. The data were analyzed using a logistic model. For both low and high Gleason score biopsy lesions, the probability of pathologic Gleason score >/=4+3 increases with lesion volume. At low values of R a lesion volume of at least 15-20 voxels is needed to reach a probability of success of 80%; the biopsy result helps reduce the prediction uncertainty. At larger MRS ratios (R > 6) the biopsy result becomes essentially uninformative once the lesion volume is >12 voxels. With the exception of low values of R, for lesions with low Gleason score at biopsy, the MRS ratios serve primarily as a selection tool for assessing lesion volumes. In patients with biopsy Gleason score >/=4+3, high MRS imaging tumor volume and (creatine + choline)/citrate ratio may justify the initiation of voxel-specific dose escalation. This is an example of biologically motivated focal treatment for which intensity-modulated radiotherapy and especially brachytherapy are ideally suited.