Diffusion-weighted MRI can serve with detection of within the neighborhood recurrent pancreatic cancer

In line with ARRS’ American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR), including diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) to passe MRI improves the differentiation of within the neighborhood recurrent tumor and post-surgical fibrosis after pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) resection, primarily in consequence of improved sensitivity for recurrence.

“The findings indicate a seemingly feature for MRI with DWI in surveillance protocols after PDAC resection,” clarified corresponding creator Tae Wook Kang, MD from Samsung Medical Center in Seoul, South Korea.

Kang and colleagues’ retrospective see included 66 sufferers (35 men, 31 girls; indicate age, 60.5 years) with PDAC resection between January 2009 and March 2016, who underwent postoperative surveillance CT demonstrating a soft tissue lesion at the operative residing or at the residing of peripancreatic vessels and subsequent MRI with DWI for extra evaluation. CT no lower than 6 months after MRI served as reference long-established, with prolong in dimension of the soft tissue by ≥5 mm differentiating within the neighborhood recurrent tumor (n=26) and post-surgical fibrosis (n=40). Two observers independently reviewed MRI examinations in separate sessions: passe MRI alone vs MRI with DWI.

In contrast with MRI alone, MRI and DWI showed greater sensitivity (observer 1: 88.5% vs 61.5%, p=.008; observer 2: 84.6% vs 42.3%, p= .001) without distinction in specificity (observer 1: 72.5% vs 80.0%, p=.08; observer 2, 95.0% vs 85.0%, p=.10) in detecting local recurrence after PDAC resection.

“MRI with DWI as a challenge-solving instrument at some level of post-operative surveillance after PDAC resection may per chance perchance facilitate earlier detection of recurrences,” the authors of this AJR article added, “guiding prognostic assessment and treatment choices.”