According to recent research published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research, "This study tests whether dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) parameters obtained from canine patients with soft tissue sarcomas, treated with hyperthermia and radiotherapy, are predictive of therapeutic outcome. Thirty-seven dogs with soft tissue sarcomas had DCE-MRI done before and following the first hyperthermia."

"Signal enhancement for tumor and reference muscle were fitted empirically, yielding a washin/washout rate for the contrast agent and tumor area under the signal enhancement curve (AUC) calculated from 0 to 60 seconds, 90 seconds, and the time of maximal enhancement in the reference muscle. These parameters were then compared with local tumor control, metastasis-free survival, and overall survival. Pretherapy rate of contrast agent washout was positively predictive of improved overall and metastasis-free survival with hazard ratio of 0.67 (P = 0.015) and 0.68 (P = 0.012), respectively. After the first hyperthermia washin rate, AUC60, AUC90, and AUCt-max were predictive of improved overall and metastasis-free survival with hazard ratio ranging from 0.46 to 0.53 (P < 0.002) and 0.44 to 0.55 (P < 0.004), respectively. DCE-MRI parameters were compared with extracellular pH and P-31 MR spectroscopy results (previously published) in the same patients showing a correlation. This suggested that an increase in perfusion after therapy was effective in eliminating excess acid from the tumor. This study shows that DCE-MRI has utility predicting overall and metastasis-free survival in canine patients with soft tissue sarcomas," wrote B.L. Viglianti and colleagues, Duke University (see also Soft Tissue Sarcoma).

The researchers concluded: "To our knowledge, this is the first time that DCE-MRI parameters are predictive of clinical outcome for soft tissue sarcomas."

Viglianti and colleagues published their study in Clinical Cancer Research (Dynamic Contrast-enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging as a Predictor of Clinical Outcome in Canine Spontaneous Soft Tissue Sarcomas Treated with Thermoradiotherapy. Clinical Cancer Research, 2009;15(15):4993-5001).

For additional information, contact M.W. Dewhirst, Duke University, Medical Center, Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Box 3455, Durham, NC 27710, USA.

The publisher's contact information for the journal Clinical Cancer Research is: American Association Cancer Research, 615 Chestnut St., 17TH Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106-4404, USA.

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