Cerebral blood volume, genotype and chemosensitivity in oligodendroglial tumours.

INTRODUCTION: The biological factors responsible for differential chemoresponsiveness in oligodendroglial tumours with or without the -1p/-19q genotype are unknown, but tumour vascularity may contribute. We aimed to determine whether dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could distinguish molecular subtypes of oligodendroglial tumour, and examined the relationship between relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) and outcome following procarbazine, lomustine and vincristine (PCV) chemotherapy.

METHODS: Pretherapy rCBV was calculated and inter- and intraobserver variability assessed. Allelic imbalance in 1p36, 19q13, 17p13, 10p12-15, and 10q22-26 and p53 mutation (exons 5-8) were determined. rCBV was compared with genotype and clinicopathological characteristics (n=37) and outcome following PCV chemotherapy (n=33).

RESULTS: 1p/19q loss was seen in 6/9 grade II oligodendrogliomas, 6/14 grade II oligoastrocytomas, 4/4 grade III oligodendrogliomas, and 3/10 grade III oligoastrocytomas. rCBV measurements had good inter- and intraobserver variability, but did not distinguish histology subtype or grade. Tumours with 1p/19q loss had higher rCBV values (Student's t-test P=0.001). Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed a cut-off of 1.59 for identifying genotype (sensitivity 92%, specificity 76%). Tumours with high and low rCBV showed response to chemotherapy. The -1p/-19q genotype, but not rCBV, was strongly associated with response, progression-free and overall survival following PCV chemotherapy. Tumours with high rCBV and intact 1p/19q were associated with shorter progression-free and overall patient survival than those with intact 1p/19q and low rCBV or high rCBV and 1p/19q loss.

CONCLUSION: rCBV identifies oligodendroglial tumours with 1p/19q loss, but does not predict chemosensitivity. The prognostic significance of rCBV may differ in oligodendroglial tumours with or without the -1p/-19q genotype.