Feasibility of BOLD Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Lung Tumors at 3T

Introduction Significant progress has been made in early detection and therapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death. Better characterization of lung tumors will allow for individualized therapy. There is increasing evidence that hypoxia in tumors predicts poor outcome for many tumor types including lung malignancies, most notably with respect to radiation therapy [1]. Noninvasive assessment of tumor vascular oxygenation using BOLD (Blood Oxygenation Level Dependant) MRI is currently applied in studies of breast, cervix, and head & neck cancers [2]. BOLD imaging of lung tumors is challenging due to artifacts caused by blood flow, respiratory and cardiac motion, and the susceptibility effects of the surrounding lung tissue. In this study, we evaluate the feasibility of applying BOLD MR imaging in untreated NSCLC.