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©2013 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Sep 7, 2013; 19(33): 5520-5527
Published online Sep 7, 2013. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v19.i33.5520
Published online Sep 7, 2013. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v19.i33.5520
Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging for predicting the response of rectal cancer to neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiation
Gang Cai, Ji Zhu, Xue-Jun Ma, Zhen Zhang, Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China
Gang Cai, Ji Zhu, Xue-Jun Ma, Zhen Zhang, Ye Xu, Wei-Lie Gu, San-Jun Cai, Shuai Zhang, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Ye Xu, Wei-Lie Gu, San-Jun Cai, Department of Colorectal Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China
Shuai Zhang, Department of Radiology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Cente, Shanghai 200032, China
Author contributions: Cai G and Zhang Z performed the study conception and design, neoadjuvant therapy, collection and assembly of data, data analysis, and manuscript writing; Zhu J and Ma XJ performed the study design and neoadjuvant therapy; Xu Y, Gu WL and Cai SJ participated in the study design and conducted the tumor biopsy and surgery; Zhang S performed the radiological work.
Correspondence to: Zhen Zhang, MD, Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Xuhui District, Shanghai 200032, China. zhenzhang666@163.com
Telephone: +86-21-64175590 Fax: +86-21-64174774
Received: April 15, 2013
Revised: July 15, 2013
Accepted: July 30, 2013
Published online: September 7, 2013
Revised: July 15, 2013
Accepted: July 30, 2013
Published online: September 7, 2013
Core Tip
Core tip: This original study prospectively evaluated the clinical value of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) in predicting the response of rectal cancer to neoadjuvant chemoradiation. We found a strong negative correlation between the mean pretreatment tumor apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and tumor regression after neoadjuvant chemoradiation, as well as a significant increase in the mean ADC at the 2nd week in the T downstage and tumor regression groups. Therefore, DW-MRI might be a valuable clinical tool to help predict or assess the response of rectal cancer to neoadjuvant chemoradiation at an early timepoint.