Synthetic MRI for Radiotherapy Planning for Brain and Prostate Cancers: Phantom Validation and Patient Evaluation

Abstract

PurposeWe aimed to evaluate the accuracy of T1 and T2 mappings derived from a multispectral pulse sequence (magnetic resonance image compilation, MAGiC®) on 1.5-T MRI and with conventional sequences [gradient echo with variable flip angle (GRE-VFA) and multi-echo spin echo (ME-SE)] compared to the reference values for the purpose of radiotherapy treatment planning.MethodsThe accuracy of T1 and T2 measurements was evaluated with 2 coils [head and neck unit (HNU) and BODY coils] on phantoms using descriptive statistics and Bland–Altman analysis. The reproducibility and repeatability of T1 and T2 measurements were performed on 15 sessions with the HNU coil. The T1 and T2 synthetic sequences obtained by both methods were evaluated according to quality assurance (QA) requirements for radiotherapy. T1 and T2in vivo measurements of the brain or prostate tissues of two groups of five subjects were also compared.ResultsThe phantom results showed good agreement (mean bias, 8.4%) between the two measurement methods for T1 values between 490 and 2,385 ms and T2 values between 25 and 400 ms. MAGiC® gave discordant results for T1 values below 220 ms (bias with the reference values, from 38% to 1,620%). T2 measurements were accurately estimated below 400 ms (mean bias, 8.5%) by both methods. The QA assessments are in agreement with the recommendations of imaging for contouring purposes for radiotherapy planning. On patient data of the brain and prostate, the measurements of T1 and T2 by the two quantitative MRI (qMRI) methods were comparable (max difference, <7%).ConclusionThis study shows that the accuracy, reproducibility, and repeatability of the multispectral pulse sequence (MAGiC®) were compatible with its use for radiotherapy treatment planning in a range of values corresponding to soft tissues. Even validated for brain imaging, MAGiC® could potentially be used for prostate qMRI.