Tumour mechanics and vascular fractality quantification via MR-Elastography in the context of liver metastasis from colorectal cancer

Motivation: Colorectal cancer is a major global cause of cancer-related deaths, often metastasizing to the liver. Standard treatment includes chemotherapy and anti-angiogenic therapy. Quantifying therapy efficacy remains a clinical challenge. Goal(s): We explore multifrequency MR-Elastography (MRE) for assessing vascular organization, using a murine liver metastasis model correlated with histopathology. Approach: The study used MRE imaging of murin liver metastasis model and the corresponding histopathology to analyze vascular organization (fractal dimension), by measuring Hurst index (H-index). Results: The H-index differs significantly between tumor and healthy liver tissue, with normal vasculature displaying a lower H-index compared to the tumoral tissue. Impact: Our in vivo elastography study demonstrates the organization of the vascular network by matching with histological findings. This innovative approach paves the way for non-invasive evaluation of treatments targeting tumor vessels, such as bevacizumab or FOLFOX.