Associations between dynamic-contrast enhanced MRI and tumor infiltrating lymphocytes and tumor-stroma ratio in head and neck squamous cell cancer

Objectives The present study used dynamic-contrast enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) to elucidate possible associations with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL), stroma ratio and vimentin expression in head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC). Methods Overall, 26 patients with primary HNSCC of different localizations were involved in the study. DCE-MRI was obtained on a 3 T MRI and analyzed with a whole lesion measurement using a histogram approach. TIL- and vimentin-expression was calculated on bioptic samples before any form of treatment. P16 staining was used to define HPV-status. Results Tumor-stroma ratio correlated with entropy derived from Ktrans (r = − 0.52, p = 0.0071) and with kurtosis derived from Ve (r = − 0.53, p = 0.0058). Several Ve derived parameters correlated with expression of TIL within the stroma compartment. TIL within the tumor compartment correlated with entropy derived from Ktrans (r = 0.39, p = 0.047), p90 derived from Ve (r = 0.41, p = 0.036) and skewness derived from Ve (r = 0.41, p = 0.037). Furthermore, these associations were different between HPV positive and negative tumors. Conclusions DCE-MRI might be able to reflect tumor compartments and TIL expression in HNSCC. The most promising parameters were values derived from Ktrans and Ve.