Skip to content
DraconiticResearch
Search Sources API
186,625 studies31 sourcesUpdated 58 min ago
Peer-reviewedCC BYCancer medicine

Quantification of the Impact of Slice Thickness on Volumetric Analysis of Brain Tumors.

  • Daniel Vogl1
  • Christer Ruff2,3
  • Patrick Haas1
  • Georg Gohla2,3
  • Hanna Gött1
  • Hannes Becker1,4
  • Marcos Tatagiba1,5
  • Till-Karsten Hauser2,3
  • Constantin Roder1,5
5 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Tübingen, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
  2. 2Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, University Hospital Tübingen, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
  3. 3Department of Radiology, University Hospital Tübingen, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
  4. 4Department of Neurology & Interdisciplinary Neuro-Oncology, University Hospital Tübingen, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
  5. 5Center for Neuro-Oncology, Comprehensive Cancer Center Tübingen-Stuttgart, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Read full textPDFDOICite

Abstract

Background

The partial volume effect influences the results of volumetrics performed on MRI sequences with different slice thicknesses. Although a standardized brain tumor imaging protocol with high-quality 1 mm slices is recommended, segmentation is still commonly performed on thicker slices, especially in retrospective studies. We aimed to quantify the impact of different slice thicknesses on volumetric measurements of brain tumors, using treatment-naive glioblastoma as a representative example.Methods

Volumes were measured on T1-weighted contrast-enhanced (CE) sequences using semiautomatic segmentation across three predefined slice thicknesses: 1 mm ("thin"; reference measurement), 3 mm ("intermediate"), and 5 mm ("thick"). Data from 46 patients with the availability of all three slice thicknesses were statistically analyzed, including repeated-measures ANOVA with post hoc comparisons, Bland-Altman analysis, correlations, and linear regression.Results

The tumor volumes measured increased with slice thickness, with mean values of 36.4 cm³ ("thin"), 38.6 cm³ ("intermediate"), and 41.0 cm³ ("thick"). Repeated measures ANOVA showed significant differences between groups (p < 0.01). The mean deviation of the tumor volumes on "thick" relative to "thin" slices was 16% (±10%). Bland-Altman analysis and linear regression confirmed systematically higher measured volumes on "thick" slices. Tumor size on "thin" slices correlated negatively with the percentage deviation on "thick" slices (r = -0.56; p < 0.01).Conclusion

Volumetric measurements obtained from "thick" slices showed systematically higher tumor volumes and greater variability relative to the 1 mm reference. Volumetric data obtained from different slice thicknesses should not be combined, or concepts for adjustment should be considered to maintain methodological consistency and reliability in volumetric studies. We advocate the use of high-quality 3D 1 mm imaging for volumetric analysis whenever possible.

Related

  1. Effect of Risedronate on Rib Cortical Thickness After Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy to Peripheral Lung Tumors: Results of a Randomized Phase 2 Trial
    Ryan T. Hughes, Paul J. Black, India R. Wood +10
    JTO clinical and research reportsPeer-reviewedCC BY-NC-NDFull textOncologyEurope PMC
  2. VITAL-3D: Volumetric Single-Cell Quantification Reveals Microenvironment-Dependent Drug Responses in Breast Cancer
    P.-H. Wu, C. Jin, T. Chu +2
    bioRxivPreprintCC BY-NC-NDFull textOncologybioRxiv
  3. Automated quantification of central corneal epithelial thickness for the diagnosis of limbal stem cell deficiency
    Micah Vinet, Nathan Siu, Clemence Bonnet +6
    PLOS OnePeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full textPhysiologyPLOS
  4. Effect of Risedronate on Rib Cortical Thickness After Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy to Peripheral Lung Tumors: Results of a Randomized Phase 2 Trial
    Ryan T. Hughes, MD, Paul J. Black, PhD, India R. Wood, MS +10
    JTO Clinical and Research ReportsPeer-reviewedCC BY-NC-ND 4.0Full textOncologyDOAJPMC
  5. Editorial: Impact of new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of post-transplant tumors on the outcome of the transplanted organ
    Piergiorgio Messa, Carlo Maria Alfieri, Josep M. Grinyó
    Frontiers in ImmunologyPeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full textSurgery & anaesthesiaCrossref

Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{vogl2026quantification,
  title = {{Quantification of the Impact of Slice Thickness on Volumetric Analysis of Brain Tumors.}},
  author = {Daniel Vogl and Christer Ruff and Patrick Haas and Georg Gohla and Hanna Gött and Hannes Becker and Marcos Tatagiba and Till-Karsten Hauser and Constantin Roder},
  journal = {Cancer medicine},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1002/cam4.72445},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42952415},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Quantification of the Impact of Slice Thickness on Volumetric Analysis of Brain Tumors.
AU  - Daniel Vogl
AU  - Christer Ruff
AU  - Patrick Haas
AU  - Georg Gohla
AU  - Hanna Gött
AU  - Hannes Becker
AU  - Marcos Tatagiba
AU  - Till-Karsten Hauser
AU  - Constantin Roder
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/29
JO  - Cancer medicine
DO  - 10.1002/cam4.72445
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42952415
AB  - Background  The partial volume effect influences the results of volumetrics performed on MRI sequences with different slice thicknesses. Although a standardized brain tumor imaging protocol with high-quality 1 mm slices is recommended, segmentation is still commonly performed on thicker slices, especially in retrospective studies. We aimed to quantify the impact of different slice thicknesses on volumetric measurements of brain tumors, using treatment-naive glioblastoma as a representative example.Methods  Volumes were measured on T1-weighted contrast-enhanced (CE) sequences using semiautomatic segmentation across three predefined slice thicknesses: 1 mm ("thin"; reference measurement), 3 mm ("intermediate"), and 5 mm ("thick"). Data from 46 patients with the availability of all three slice thicknesses were statistically analyzed, including repeated-measures ANOVA with post hoc comparisons, Bland-Altman analysis, correlations, and linear regression.Results  The tumor volumes measured increased with slice thickness, with mean values of 36.4 cm³ ("thin"), 38.6 cm³ ("intermediate"), and 41.0 cm³ ("thick"). Repeated measures ANOVA showed significant differences between groups (p < 0.01). The mean deviation of the tumor volumes on "thick" relative to "thin" slices was 16% (±10%). Bland-Altman analysis and linear regression confirmed systematically higher measured volumes on "thick" slices. Tumor size on "thin" slices correlated negatively with the percentage deviation on "thick" slices (r = -0.56; p < 0.01).Conclusion  Volumetric measurements obtained from "thick" slices showed systematically higher tumor volumes and greater variability relative to the 1 mm reference. Volumetric data obtained from different slice thicknesses should not be combined, or concepts for adjustment should be considered to maintain methodological consistency and reliability in volumetric studies. We advocate the use of high-quality 3D 1 mm imaging for volumetric analysis whenever possible.
SN  - 2045-7634
ER  -