A multi-compartment model for intratumor tissue-specific analysis of DCE-MRI using non-negative matrix factorization.

Abstract

PURPOSE\nA pharmacokinetic analysis of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) data is subject to inaccuracy and instability partly owing to the partial volume effect (PVE). We proposed a new multi-compartment model for a tissue-specific pharmacokinetic analysis in DCE-MRI data to solve the PVE problem and to provide better kinetic parameter maps.\n\n\nMETHODS\nWe introduced an independent parameter named fractional volumes of tissue compartments in each DCE-MRI pixel to construct a new linear separable multi-compartment model, which simultaneously estimate pixel-wise time-concentration curves and the fractional volumes without the need of the pure-pixel assumption. This simplified convex optimization model was solved using a special type of non-negative matrix factorization algorithm (NMF) called the minimum volume constraint NMF (MVC-NMF).\n\n\nRESULTS\nTo test the model, a synthetic dataset was established based on the general pharmacokinetic parameters. On well-designed synthetic data, the proposed model reached lower bias and lower root mean square fitting error compared to the state-of-the-art algorithm in different noise levels. In addition, the real dataset from QIN-BREAST-DCE-MRI was analyzed, and we observed an improved pharmacokinetic parameter estimation to distinguish the treatment response to chemotherapy applied to breast cancer.\n\n\nCONCLUSION\nOur model improved the accuracy and stability of the tissue-specific estimation of the fractional volumes and kinetic parameters in DCE-MRI data, and improved the robustness to noise, providing more accurate kinetics for more precise prognosis and therapeutic response evaluation using DCE-MRI.