Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI data can be quantified to produce reproducible measurements of tissue perfusion, permeability, vascularity and cellularity at high spatial resolution (~1mm). Numerous studies have demonstrated a potential utility of these parameters for non-invasive tumour characterisation, prediction or monitoring of treatment response, or for optimisation of various treatments including radiotherapy or anti-angiogenic treatment. On the other hand, one has to observe that despite this large body of evidence the role of DCE-MRI in daily clinical practice or clinical trials remains limited.
In this talk I will aim to identify the causes for this gap between scientific evidence and clinical application, propose strategies to close the gap in the future, and present current research plans of our group in Leeds. I will also briefly review the basic principles and terminology of DCE-MRI as this is needed to make sense of the multitude of different approaches in the literature.