Journal Article DKFZ-2026-01580

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Early ADC changes in risk-model-defined brain regions precede contrast-enhancing lesions after proton therapy for low-grade glioma.

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2026
Elsevier Science Amsterdam [u.a.]

Radiotherapy and oncology nn, nn () [10.1016/j.radonc.2026.111674]
 GO

Abstract: Contrast-enhancing brain lesions (CEBLs) are a challenging late effect of proton therapy (PT) in low-grade glioma (LGG), typically detected after blood-brain barrier disruption. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and derived apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) metrics can reveal early microstructural alterations preceding this disruption. Their diagnostic value can be enhanced by combining it with voxel-wise risk-modelling, such as the Probability of Lesion Origin (POLO) model, which maps spatial susceptibility to radiation-induced damage. This pilot study investigates the feasibility of combining longitudinal DWI with POLO-based risk stratification to characterize regional tissue response trajectories after PT in patients with and without CEBL.Twenty LGG-patients treated with PT were retrospectively analyzed: ten developed CEBLs (CEBL⁺) and ten remained lesion-free. Longitudinal ADC-volume-histogram metrics (ADC20%, ADCmean, ADCmedian) were extracted from POLO-defined high-risk (HR) and low-risk (LR) volumes. Temporal evolution was quantified using coefficients of variation and slopes.CEBL⁺ patients exhibited higher ADC values, greater temporal variability, and steeper increases over time, especially within HR regions. For ADC20%, HR values exceeded LR in CEBL⁺, while no HR-LR difference was observed in CEBL⁻. The HR-LR ADC20% difference distinguished CEBL⁺ from CEBL⁻ patients as early as six months post-treatment, yielding AUCs of 0.70-0.79 across quarterly timepoints.Risk-model-informed interpretation of DWI, considering localized information on anticipated biological damage, demonstrates the potential for quantitative assessment of post-treatment tissue dynamics. Early HR-LR ADC divergence, particularly in ADC20%, may serve as an imaging biomarker for monitoring radiation-induced tissue changes after PT, supporting post-treatment imaging surveillance.

Keyword(s): ADC ; Low-grade glioma ; Proton therapy ; Radiation-induced brain injuries ; diffusion MRI

Classification:

Note: epub

Contributing Institute(s):
  1. KKE Strahlentherapie (E050)
Research Program(s):
  1. 315 - Bildgebung und Radioonkologie (POF4-315) (POF4-315)

Appears in the scientific report 2026
Database coverage:
Medline ; BIOSIS Previews ; Biological Abstracts ; Clarivate Analytics Master Journal List ; Current Contents - Clinical Medicine ; Ebsco Academic Search ; Essential Science Indicators ; IF >= 5 ; JCR ; NationallizenzNationallizenz ; SCOPUS ; Science Citation Index Expanded ; Web of Science Core Collection
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 Record created 2026-06-29, last modified 2026-06-30



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