A Practical and Reliable Method for Volumetric Assessment of Adult Diffuse Glioma Features on MRI

Abstract

Background: The purpose of this study was to develop a reliable volumetric assessment of MRI-based tumour features, using available clinical software, to track tumour features longitudinally in patients with adult diffuse gliomas, and to assess the correlation between tumour features and biomarkers obtained by liquid biopsy. Methods: A manual segmentation protocol was developed to quantify tumour volumes and diffusion restricted volumes on serial MRIs. These measures were assessed longitudinally and then correlated with liquid biopsy derived RNA concentrations. Results: The segmentation technique has high reliability and can be used to track tumour volumes longitudinally. Significant correlations were found between diffusion restricted tissue and RNA concentrations in contrast enhanced and gross tumour regions. Conclusions: This technique is suitable for longitudinal studies of novel biomarkers of tumour progression and post-treatment recurrence. Further study is indicated on the relationship between diffusion restriction and clinical course, as well as the correlation with RNA concentration.