From the RSNA refresher courses: MR imaging in hyperthermia

Magnetic Hyperthermia and Radiation Therapy: Radiobiological Principles and Current Practice †

Hyperthermia, though by itself generally non-curative for cancer, can significantly increase the efficacy of radiation therapy, as demonstrated by in vitro, in vivo, and clinical results. Its limited use in the clinic is mainly due to various practical implementation difficulties, the most important being how to adequately heat the tumor, especially deep-seated ones. In this work, we first review the effects of hyperthermia on tissue, the limitations of radiation therapy and the radiobiological rationale for combining the two treatment modalities. Subsequently, we review the theory and evidence for magnetic hyperthermia that is based on magnetic nanoparticles, its advantages compared with other methods of hyperthermia, and how it can be used to overcome the problems associated with traditional techniques of hyperthermia.

Recommendations for In Vitro and In Vivo Testing of Magnetic Nanoparticle Hyperthermia Combined with Radiation Therapy

Magnetic nanoparticle (MNP)-mediated hyperthermia (MH) coupled with radiation therapy (RT) is a novel approach that has the potential to overcome various practical difficulties encountered in cancer treatment. In this work, we present recommendations for the in vitro and in vivo testing and application of the two treatment techniques. These recommendations were developed by the members of Working Group 3 of COST Action TD 1402: Multifunctional Nanoparticles for Magnetic Hyperthermia and Indirect Radiation Therapy ("Radiomag"). The purpose of the recommendations is not to provide definitive answers and directions but, rather, to outline those tests and considerations that a researcher must address in order to perform in vitro and in vivo studies. The recommendations are divided into 5 parts: (a) in vitro evaluation of MNPs; (b) in vitro evaluation of MNP-cell interactions; (c) in vivo evaluation of the MNPs; (d) MH combined with RT; and (e) pharmacokinetic studies of MNPs. Synthesis and characterization of the MNPs, as well as RT protocols, are beyond the scope of this work.

A method to convert MRI images of temperature change into images of absolute temperature in solid tumours

PURPOSE

During hyperthermia (HT), the therapeutic response of tumours varies substantially within the target temperature range (39-43 °C). Current thermometry methods are either invasive or measure only temperature change, which limits the ability to study tissue responses to HT. This study combines manganese-containing low temperature sensitive liposomes (Mn-LTSL) with proton resonance frequency shift (PRFS) thermometry to measure absolute temperature in tumours with high spatial and temporal resolution using MRI.

METHODS

Liposomes were loaded with 300 mM MnSO(4). The phase transition temperature (T(m)) of Mn-LTSL samples was measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The release of manganese from Mn-LTSL in saline was characterised with inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. A 2T GE small animal scanner was used to acquire dynamic T1-weighted images and temperature change images of Mn-LTSL in saline phantoms and fibrosarcoma-bearing Fisher-344 rats receiving hyperthermia after Mn-LTSL injection.

RESULTS

The T(m) of Mn-LTSL in rat blood was 42.9 ± 0.2 °C (DSC). For Mn-LTSL samples (0.06 mM-0.5 mM Mn(2+) in saline) heated monotonically from 30 °C to 50 °C, a peak in the rate of MRI signal enhancement occurred at 43.1° ± 0.3 °C. The same peak in signal enhancement rate was observed during heating of fibrosarcoma tumours (N = 3) after injection of Mn-LTSL, and the peak was used to convert temperature change images into absolute temperature. Accuracies of calibrated temperature measurements were in the range 0.9-1.8 °C.

CONCLUSION

The release of Mn(2+) from Mn-LTSL affects the rate of MR signal enhancement which enables conversion of MRI-based temperature change images to absolute temperature.

Accuracy of real time noninvasive temperature measurements using magnetic resonance thermal imaging in patients treated for high grade extremity soft tissue sarcomas

PURPOSE

To establish accuracy of real time noninvasive temperature measurements using magnetic resonance thermal imaging in patients treated for high grade extremity soft tissue sarcomas.

METHODS

Protocol patients with advanced extremity sarcomas were treated with external beam radiation therapy and hyperthermia. Invasive temperature measures were compared to noninvasive magnetic resonance thermal imaging (MRTI) at 1.5 T performed during hyperthermia. Volumetric temperature rise images were obtained using the proton resonance frequency shift (PRFS) technique during heating in a 140 MHz miniannular phased array applicator. MRTI temperature changes were compared to invasive measurements of temperature with a multisensor fiber optic probe inside a #15 g catheter in the tumor. Since the PRFS technique is sensitive to drifts in the primary imaging magnetic field, temperature change distributions were corrected automatically during treatment using temperature-stable reference materials to characterize field changes in 3D. The authors analyzed MRT images and compared, in evaluable treatments, MR-derived temperatures to invasive temperatures measured in extremity sarcomas. Small regions of interest (ROIs) were specified near each invasive sensor identified on MR images. Temperature changes in the interstitial sensors were compared to the corresponding ROI PRFS-based temperature changes over the entire treatment and over the steady-state period. Nonevaluable treatments (motion/imaging artifacts, noncorrectable drifts) were not included in the analysis.

RESULTS

The mean difference between MRTI and interstitial probe measurements was 0.91 degrees C for the entire heating time and 0.85 degrees C for the time at steady state. These values were obtained from both tumor and normal tissue ROIs. When the analysis is done on just the tumor ROIs, the mean difference for the whole power on time was 0.74 degrees C and during the period of steady state was 0.62 degrees C.

CONCLUSIONS

The data show that for evaluable treatments, excellent correlation (deltaT < 1 degrees C) of MRTI-ROI and invasive measurements can be achieved, but that motion and other artifacts are still serious challenges that must be overcome in future work.