DWI in survival prediction for patients with glioblastoma receiving chemoradiotherapy

Objective: To explore the value of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in predicting the prognosis of patients with glioblastoma (GBM) receiving chemoradiotherapy. Methods: The GBM patients undergoing complete resection were included in this prospective study. All patients received diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) followed by standard radiation and chemotherapy. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of proximal area, middle area and distal area were measured. The patients were classified according to the median and minimum ADC values. The overall survival (OS) and the progression-free survival (PFS) were evaluated. Results: The 6-month and 12-month OS rates of 83 patients included in this study were 99% and 82%, respectively, and the 6-month and 12-month PFS rates were 84% and 66%, respectively. The OS and PFS of the patients with the average ADC values > 0.979×10-3 mm2/s in the proximal area were superior to those of the patients with the average ADC values ≤ 0.979×10-3 mm2/s (OS: P = 0.019; PFS: P = 0.005). The PFS of the patients with the minimum ADC value > 0.894×10-3 mm2/s in the proximal area was superior to that of the patients with the minimum ADC value ≤ 0.894×10-3 mm2/s (P = 0.018). The differences in OS and PFS were not statistically significant with respect to the middle area and the distal area (all P > 0.05). Conclusion: DWI can provide additional useful information in predicting the efficacy of chemoradiotherapy in the patients with GBM. DOI:10.3781/j.issn.1000-7431.2017.33.029