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Abstract #4133

B0-Correction and K-Means Clustering for Accurate and Automatic Identification of Regions with Reduced Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADC) in Advanced Cervical Cancer at the Time of Brachytherapy

Sren Haack1, Erik Morre Pedersen2, Mads Sloth Vinding3, Jesper Folsted Kallehauge4, Jacob Christian Lindegaard5, Kari Tanderup5, Sune Nrhj Jespersen6

1Dept. of Clinical Engineering, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark; 2Dept. of Radiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark; 3inSpin, iNANO, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; 4Dept. of Medical Physics, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark; 5Dept. of Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark; 6CFIN/Mindlab, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark


Diffusion weighted MRI has shown great potential in diagnostic cancer imaging and may also have value for monitoring tumor response during radiotherapy. Uncertainties due to geometric distortions caused by B0-inhomogeneity and tumor delineation are major obstacles for implementing DWI for use in dose planning of radiotherapy. This study evaluates the use of k-means clustering for automatic user independent delineation of regions with reduced apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and the value of B0-correction of DW-MRI for reduction of geometrical distortions during dose planning of brachytherapy of advanced cervical cancer.