New breast cancer biomarkers from diffusion magnetic resonance imaging based on the Diffusion Tensor using multivariate curve resolution (MCR) models

Abstract

Currently, magnetic resonance imaging is the most sensitive imaging technique for detecting cancerous processes in early stages. As for breast cancer, due to the tubular structure of the tissue, being formed by ducts, anisotropic diffusion should be considered instead of the general isotropic diffusion. Anisotropic diffusion is studied by applying a technique called Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI), where the diffusion gradient is applied by changing the magnetic field in several spatial directions.

To date, the application of Multivariate Curve Resolution (MCR) models in diffusion sequences has demonstrated its ability to develop cancer biomarkers of easy clinical interpretation in the case of isotropic tissues, such as the prostate. But so far, it has never been applied in the case of anisotropic tissues, as the breast.

Therefore, the main objective of this work is to obtain easy-to-interpret imaging biomarkers useful for early breast cancer diagnosis from diffusion magnetic resonance imaging based on the Diffusion Tensor using multivariate curve resolution (MCR) models. A classification model to identify healthy and tumor affected pixels is also proposed.