THE FIRST EXPERIENCE OF USING 320-SLICE CT PERFUSION IMAGING IN PROSTATE CANCER

Introduction: Visualization of prostate cancer remains an actual problem in the urology and oncology. Purpose of the study: Evaluation of prostate cancer visualization using 320-slice perfusion computed tomography (PCT). Materials and methods: PCT results of 15 patients with suspected prostate cancer were evaluated. Studies were performed with the 320-slice spiral computed tomography Aquilion One (Toshiba, Japan). Perfusion of the prostate was calculated by the maximum gradient. Next to each perfusion map placed the zone of interest. For each area of interest the following indicators were taken into consideration: the average velocity of blood flow, normalized blood flow velocity, the difference of blood flow velocity in the contralateral areas of interest, the difference of the normalized blood flow velocity in the contralateral areas of interest. Differences between indicies and the results of histological examination for each zone of interest were evaluated by the variance analysis and by pairwise comparison with the Tukey’s criterion. Statistical significance of differences was assessed by the specialized computer language R v 3.2, using pROC packets. Results and conclusions: 180 biopsies were obtained. 19 ( prostate cancer Σ Gleason 6), 17 (prostate cancer Σ Gleason 7), 5 - (prostate cancer Gleason Σ 8), 7 (inflammation), 121 (no pathological), 11 (prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN)). The areas under the ROC curves for the studied parameters were: average blood flow rate 0.6343, normalized blood flow rate 0.5300, blood flow velocity difference in contralateral areas of interest 0.5875, normalized blood flow velocity difference in the contralateral areas of interest 0.6263. The obtained findings show a low sensitivity of the method in the detection of low-grade prostate cancer.

prostate cancer, perfusion computed tomography, Gleason score, flow rate