Diffusion-Weighted Imaging Of Lung Cancer:the Correlation Between ADC Value And Histologic Type、Grade And TN Stage

Objective Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) could reflect the change of the microstructure and functional status of tissues, provide information of molecular level for disease diagnosis and differential diagnosis. Histologic type, grade as well as TN staging of the lung cancer are prognostic parameters that are used for determination of treatment of lung cancer. The aim of this study is to investigate the value of DWI in diagnosis of lung cancer and to analysis the correlation between apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value and histologic type、grade and TN stage.Materials and Methods One hundred and twenty consecutive patients pathologically diagnosed as lung cancer in Tianjin Medical University General Hospital from June2009to October2012were included in this study, all of whom received both conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and DWI examinations(diffusion factors of500s/mm2), the ADC values of the lesions were measured. ADC values among different histologic types、grades as well as T stages、N stages were compared with t-test and One-Way ANOVA. The correlations between ADC values and the above-mentioned factors were further evaluated with Spearman correlation coefficient.Results With b value of500s/mm2,small cell lung cancer (SCLC) has lower ADC value than non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)(P=0.001), and ADC values of SCLC were significantly different from squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma respectively(P=0.012,0.000). The ADC value of well-differentiated lung cancer significantly differed from moderately-differentiated and poorly-differentiated lung cancer(P=0.040,0.000), and the ADC value was correlated with differentiation grade of the tumor (rs=0.296, P=0.001). There was a significant difference in the ADC value of lung cancer among T stages (P=0.005), and the ADC value was correlated with T stage (rs=-0.212, P=0.021). There also was a significant difference in the ADC value of lung cancer among N stages (P=0.004). ADC values decreased with increasing N stage, and the ADC value was correlated with N stage (rs=-0.288, P=0.001).Conclusion DWI-MRI has the value for diagnosis of lung cancer. ADC values have the suggestive value for preoperative judgment of pathological types, grades and TN stagings of lung cancer, and they can direct the treatment and prognosis of lung cancer.