The role of diffusion-weighted MR imaging in the diagnosis of bladder urothelial cancer

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the value of diffusion-weighted MR imaging in diagnosis of urothelial cancer. Methods From June 2015 to December 2016, 72 consecutive patients with suspicious bladder lesions were accessed in our hospital. According to the results of pathological examination, the patients were divided into two groups: benign lesions group (n=23) and urothelial cancer group (n=49). The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of all patients was analyzed. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated by plotting the sensitivity versus specificity. Area under the cures was calculated for ADC assay. Results There was significant difference in ADC values between benign lesions group and urothelial cancer group [(1.86±0.40)×10-3mm2/s vs (0.93±0.11) ×10-3mm2/s, P<0.01]. Area under the ROC curves of ADC values were 0.705. The specificity and sensitivity of ADC values were 82.9% and 87.2% respectively at the optimum cutoff value (1.32×10-3 ) mm2/s. Conclusions ADC value could provide an objective and reliable biomarker for the early diagnosis of bladder urothelial cancer. Key words: Bladder urothelial cancer; Diagnosis; Diffusion-weighted MR imaging