Additional Diffusion-Weighted Imaging with Background Body Signal Suppression (DWIBS) Improves Pre-Therapeutical Detection of Early-Stage (pT1a) Glottic Cancer: A Feasibility and Interobserver Reliability Study

Abstract

(1) Background: Early-stage glottic cancer is easily missed on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) may improve diagnostic accuracy. Therefore, our aim was to assess the value of adding diffusion-weighted imaging with background body signal suppression (DWIBS) to pre-therapeutic MRI staging. (2) Methods: Two radiologists with 8 and 13 years of experience, blinded to each other’s findings, initially interpreted only standard MRI, later DWIBS alone, and afterward, standard MRI + DWIBS in 41 patients with histopathologically proven pT1a laryngeal cancer of the glottis. (3) Results: Detectability rates with standard MRI, DWIBS only, and standard MRI + DWIBS were 68–71%, 63–66%, and 73–76%, respectively. Moreover, interobserver reliability was calculated as good (κ = 0.712), very good (κ = 0.84), and good (κ = 0.69) for standard MRI, DWIBS only, and standard MRI + DWIBS, respectively. (4) Conclusions: Standard MRI, DWIBS alone, and standard MRI + DWIBS showed an encouraging detection rate, as well as distinct interobserver reliability in the diagnosis of early-stage laryngeal cancer when compared to the definitive histopathologic report.

Diagnostic Value of Diffusion-Weighted Imaging with Background Body Signal Suppression (DWIBS) for the Pre-Therapeutic Loco-Regional Staging of Cervical Cancer: A Feasibility and Interobserver Reliability Study

“…Through the black-and-white reversal technology, DWIBS could achieve a similar effect with positron emission tomography (PET) and obtain PET-like images. DWIBS has been widely applied in the clinical diagnosis of brain, nerve and abdomino-pelvic diseases as well as in the staging routine of multiple different cancerous entities [21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29]. A larger field of view facilitates the detection of lymph nodes in the pelvic and para-aortic region with an accuracy of 97 and 67%, respectively.…”