Time-dependent diffusion MRI: More effective than conventional DWI in differentiating benign and malignant soft tissue tumors

Motivation: Time-dependent diffusion MRI (td-dMRI) provides an opportunity to explore microstructural characteristics at the cellular level, but its application in soft tissue tumors (STTs) imaging has not been fully explored. Goal(s): To compare the efficacy of td-dMRI and conventional diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in differentiating benign and malignant STTs. Approach: The ROC curve was used to compare the diagnostic efficacy of each quantitative parameters of IMPULSED based on td-dMRI data and ADC values of conventional DWI in differentiating benign and malignant STTs. Results: The area under curve (AUC) of cellularity, vin, and rcADC values of td-dMRI were higher than conventional ADC values. Impact: Time-dependent diffusion MRI can effectively and non-invasively assist in distinguishing benign and malignant STTs, and its diagnostic effect is superior to conventional DWI. This progress is expected to promote understanding of tumor characteristics, which will help select appropriate treatment strategies.