Comparison of 1H blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) and 19F MRI to investigate tumor oxygenation.

Fluorine-19 [19F] MRI oximetry and 1H blood oxygen level–dependent (BOLD) MRI were used to investigate tumor oxygenation in rat breast 13762NF carcinomas, and correlations between the techniques were examined. A range of tissue oxygen partial pressure (pO2) values was found in the nine tumors while the anesthetized rats breathed air, with individual tumor pO2 ranging from a mean of 1 to 36 torr and hypoxic fraction (HF10) ( 0.7, P < 0.001). Our results suggest that BOLD MRI provides information about tumor oxygenation and may be useful to predict pO2 changes accompanying interventions. Significantly, the magnitude of the BOLD response appears to be predictive for residual tumor HFs. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.