Added value of 3T MRI and the MRI-halo sign in assessing resectability of locally advanced pancreatic cancer following induction chemotherapy (IMAGE-MRI): prospective pilot study

IMAGE study group

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Abstract

Background: Restaging of locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) after induction chemotherapy using contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CE-CT) imaging is imprecise in evaluating local tumor response. This study explored the value of 3 Tesla (3 T) contrast-enhanced (CE) and diffusion-weighted (DWI) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for local tumor restaging. Methods: This is a prospective pilot study including 20 consecutive patients with LAPC with RECIST non-progressive disease on CE-CT after induction chemotherapy. Restaging CE-CT, CE-MRI, and DWI-MRI were retrospectively evaluated by two abdominal radiologists in consensus, scoring tumor size and vascular involvement. A halo sign was defined as replacement of solid perivascular (arterial and venous) tumor tissue by a zone of fatty-like signal intensity. Results: Adequate MRI was obtained in 19 patients with LAPC after induction chemotherapy. Tumor diameter was non-significantly smaller on CE-MRI compared to CE-CT (26 mm vs. 30 mm; p = 0.073). An MRI-halo sign was seen on CE-MRI in 52.6% (n = 10/19), whereas a CT-halo sign was seen in 10.5% (n = 2/19) of patients (p = 0.016). An MRI-halo sign was not associated with resection rate (60.0% vs. 62.5%; p = 1.000). In the resection cohort, patients with an MRI-halo sign had a non-significant increased R0 resection rate as compared to patients without an MRI-halo sign (66.7% vs. 20.0%; p = 0.242). Positive and negative predictive values of the CE-MRI-halo sign for R0 resection were 66.7% and 66.7%, respectively. Conclusions: 3 T CE-MRI and the MRI-halo sign might be helpful to assess the effect of induction chemotherapy in patients with LAPC, but its diagnostic accuracy has to be evaluated in larger series.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3487-3499
Number of pages13
JournalLangenbeck's Archives of Surgery
Volume407
Issue number8
Early online date2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2022

Keywords

  • Induction chemotherapy
  • Locally advanced pancreatic cancer
  • Resectability
  • Staging

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