Direct comparison of ASL and DCE-MRI in a mouse model of cancer

In recent years, several studies comparing ASL vs. DCE-MRI appeared due to an expansion of ASL from brain applications also to other organs (e.g. pulmonary parenchyma(1), tumour(2)). These studies indirectly compared blood flow (Fb) estimated with ASL to the perfusion parameters estimated by DCE-MRI which are only related to Fb but not equivalent. Our DCE-MRI method3 is based on the ATH pharmacokinetic model(4) providing estimates of Fb. This provides a direct comparison of the same quantity estimated using ASL and DCE-MRI. Compared to previous approaches aiming at replacement of one method by another, this study aims to prepare their combination and to provide more reliable perfusion-parameter estimate.