Anita Banerji1, Yvonne Watson1, Caleb Roberts1, Angela Caunce1, Giovanni A. Buonaccorsi1, Geoff J. Parker1
1Imaging Science and Biomedical Engineering, School of Cancer and Imaging Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, Greater Manchester, UK
The dual blood supply of liver tissue leads to contrast agent time courses that differ significantly from that of a tumour rim. This work uses a software phantom to quantify the influence of partial volume effects on the mean and median Ktrans values of a liver tumour as it reduces in size, mimicking anticipated treatment effects. We demonstrate that median values accurately reflect tumour characteristics except at small tumour sizes where an overestimation is seen. This overestimation is greater if the tumour is located in cirrhotic liver rather than normal liver tissue.
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