Does GRASP affect DCE-MRI quantitative parameters and texture analysis in patients with esophageal cancer receiving preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy?

Purpose To compare pharmacokinetic parameters and texture features from two dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MR images [golden-angle radial sparse parallel (GRASP) and view-sharing with golden-angle radial profile (VS-GR) reconstruction], and explore their value in assessing response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (nCT) in esophageal cancer (EC). Methods The study prospectively enrolled 30 EC patients receiving nCT before surgery. DCE-MRI scanning was performed before nCT and within 1 week before surgery. Chemotherapy response was assessed according to RECIST 1.1 and Tumor Regression Grade (TRG). Mann-Whitney U test was utilized for comparing GRASP and VS-GR reconstruction, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) was performed for each significant feature to assess its accuracy in predicting response. Results Among the 30 patients included in this cohort (28 men; average age of 58 +/- 8 years), response by RECIST 1.1 demonstrated 18 responders and 12 non-responders. For TRG, no case showed TRG1, 1 patient was TRG2, 3 patients were TRG3, 8 patients were TRG4, and 18 patients were TRG5. A total of 72 pharmacokinetic parameters and texture features were extracted from each tumor. Of those, 29 pre-nCT features and 24 post-nCT features showed statistically significant difference between GRASP and VS-GR reconstruction. One pre-nCT texture feature and 37 post-nCT pharmacokinetic parameters and texture features on VS-GR showed statistically significant differences between responder and non-responders. Both pre- and post-nCT pharmacokinetic parameters and texture features with GRASP reconstruction showed good performance in response groups (AUC > 0.70, P < 0.05), and only post-nCT pharmacokinetic parameters and texture features with VS-GR reconstruction showed good performance in response groups (AUC > 0.70, P < 0.05). Conclusion GRASP can improve pharmacokinetic parameters and texture features from DCE-MR imaging. Both pre- and post-nCT pharmacokinetic parameters and texture features with GRASP and only post-nCT those with VS-GR reconstruction showed the ability to assess the response to nCT in EC.