Is the standard deviation of the apparent diffusion coefficient a potential tool for the preoperative prediction of tumor grade in endometrial cancer?

Abstract

Background

The tumor histological grade is closely related to the prognosis of endometrial cancer (EC). The use of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), tumor volume, and MRI-based texture analysis has allowed exciting advances in predicting EC grade before surgery. However, whether this constitutes a simple, convenient, and powerful diagnostic method remains unknown.

Purpose

To explore the utility of standard deviation (SD) of the ADC (ADC_SD) for predicting the tumor grade in patients with EC.

Material and Methods

We retrospectively evaluated 138 patients with EC. All patients underwent unenhanced MRI and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). The mean ADC value (ADC_mean) and SD were obtained using a freehand region of interest traced on the ADC map. Spearman’s linear correlation coefficients were calculated to analyze the correlations between the indexes (including ADC_SD and the ADC_mean) and the Ki-67 index. The Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney U tests were used to compare differences in the index results among tumor grades.

Results

A significant difference in ADC_SD was observed among the tumor grades (P=0.000), and the ADC_SD value was significantly higher for high-grade EC than for low-grade tumors (289.7 vs. 216.3×10⁻⁶mm² /s, P=0.000). A statistically significant positive correlation was observed between ADC_SD and the Ki-67 index (r=0.364, P=0.000). According to the receiver operating characteristic curve, ADC_SD ≥240.2×10⁻⁶mm² /s predicted high-grade EC with a sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 73.1%, 80.2%, and 77.5%, respectively.

Conclusion

Based on the intratumor heterogeneity of EC, ADC_SD represents a potential method for the preoperative prediction of high-grade EC, although further studies are needed.