Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI in patients with muscle-invasive transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder can distinguish between residual tumour and post-chemotherapy effect

Introduction: Treatment of muscle-invasive bladder cancer with chemotherapy results in haemorrhagic inflammation, mimicking residual tumour on conventional MR images and making interpretation difficult. The aim of this study was to use dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) to estimate descriptive and tracer kinetic parameters post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy and to investigate whether parameters differed in areas of residual tumour and chemotherapy-induced haemorrhagic inflammation (treatment effect, Tr-Eff). Methods and materials: Twenty-one patients underwent DCE-MRI scans with 2.5 s temporal resolution before and following neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Regions-of-interest (ROIs) were defined in areas suspicious of residual tumour on T₂-weighted MRI scans. Data were analysed semi-quantitatively and with a two-compartment exchange model to obtain parameters including relative signal intensity (rSI_80s) and plasma perfusion (F_p) respectively. The bladder was subsequently examined histologically after cystectomy for evidence of residual tumour and/or Tr-Eff. Differences in parameters measured in areas of residual tumour and Tr-Eff were examined using Student's t-test. Results: Twenty-four abnormal sites were defined after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. On pathology, 10 and 14 areas were identified as residual tumour and Tr-Eff respectively. Median rSI_80s and F_p were significantly higher in areas of residual tumour than Tr-Eff (rSI_80s = 2.9 vs 1.7, p < 0.001; F_p = 20.7 vs 9.1 ml/100 ml/min, p = 0.03). The sensitivity and specificity for differentiating residual tumour from Tr-Eff were 70% and 100% (rSI_80s), 60% and 86% (F_p), and 75% and 100% when combined. Conclusion: DCE-MRI parameters obtained post-treatment are capable of distinguishing between residual tumour and treatment effect in patients treated for bladder cancer with neoadjuvant chemotherapy