Abstract #2169

Can Susceptibility-Weighted Imaging Determine Response to Combined Anti-Angiogenic, Cytotoxic, and Radiation Therapy in GBM Patients?

Janine M. Lupo¹, Soonmee Cha¹, Emma Essock-Burns^1,2, Nicholas Butowski³, Sarah J. Nelson^1,2

¹Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States; ²Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States; ³Department of Neurosurgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States

This study investigated whether the unique contrast provided by SWI, which highlights heterogeneity within the post-gadolinium contrast enhancing brain tumor lesion, can predict response to treatment. Nineteen patients with newly-diagnosed GBM were imaged prior to beginning anti-angiogenic, cytotoxic, and radiation therapy and followed until progression. The volume of SWI hypointense signal within the contrast-enhancing lesion was dramatically higher in patients who progressed after 1 year post-therapy compared to patients who progressed within 6 months of initiating treatment. These findings suggest that SWI could be advantageous for determining which patients would be the best candidates for adjuvant anti-angiogenic therapeutic strategies.