Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging of lung cancer at 3.0 T: a preliminary study on monitoring diffusion changes during chemoradiation therapy

PurposeThe purpose of the study was to prospectively monitor changes of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in perichemoradiation for lung cancer.MethodsFourteen patients with lung cancer who underwent chemoradiation therapy were included. Diffusion-weighted (DW) images were obtained prior to and during chemoradiation therapy, and ADCs were compared.ResultsSeven patients had qualified DW images before and during chemoradiation. Six responders had significant increase in ADC value during the chemoradiation compared with the pretreatment value (P=.028), while one nonresponder had a slight decrease.ConclusionThese preliminary results show the potential of DW imaging in monitoring early response to chemoradiation in patients with lung cancer.