Targeted radiation treatments are expected to induce DNA damage in tumor cells which leads to apoptosis. Apoptotic cells experience an increase in cell membrane permeability and surface-to-volume ratio, both of which result in increased water exchange rate between intracellular and extracellular compartments.
Using a three compartment relaxation model we demonstrate that early changes in intracellular-extracellular water exchange correlated well with tumor volume change one-month post-treatment. Moreover, when the water exchange rate was combined with early tumor volume change and was employed in a classifier, the patients with partial response and progressing disease could be identified with a very high accuracy.
This abstract and the presentation materials are available to members only; a login is required.