Table 1.

Mean imaging score of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) pulse sequence to define and gold fiducial marker.

	Outline of prostate	Apex vs. soft tissue	Base vs. bladder	Base vs. SV	Fiducial marker definition
Observer 1
T1WI	1.6	1.1	1.3	1.2	1.2
T2WI	2.0	1.8	1.5	2.0†	1.2
T2*2D	2.0	2.2	2.4‡	1.0	2.4‡
T2*3D	2.5	1.2	2.4‡	1.1	2.6‡
CE-T1WI	2.4	2.0	1.6	1.1	1.6
Observer 2
T1WI	2.6	1.0	1	2.4	1.0
T2WI	3.0	2.7†	2.4	3.0	1.1
T2*2D	2.8	1.1	1.3	1.2	2.2‡
T2*3D	2.6	1.3	1.1	1.4	2.4‡
CE-T1WI	2.9	1.7	1.9	2.6	1.0
Observer 3
T1WI	1.7	1.1	1.6	1.3	1.0
T2WI	2.7	2.4†	2.4†	2.3†	1.1
T2*2D	1.8	1.1	1.1	1.1	2.4‡
T2*3D	1.9	1.2	1.1	1.2	2.7‡
CE-T1WI	2.4	1.9	1.3	1.3	1.0

Abbreviations: T1WI, T1-weighted spin-echo (repetition time [TR]/echo time [TE] in ms): (range 400–650/8); T2WI, T2-weighted fast spin-echo (4000/80); T2*2D, T2*_T2-weighted gradient echo (700/18); T2*3D, T2*_3-dimentional T2_weighted gradient echo [TR/TE1/deltaTE](37/14/7.3); CE-T1WI, contrast enhanced T1-weighted spin-echo (range 400–650/12); SV, seminal vesicle.

One radiation oncologist and two radiation technologists subjectively scored the images based on 5 evaluation items. A score from 1 to 3 (1: poor, 2: moderate, 3: good) was assigned to all items. The higher score was regarded as the greater definition of the prostate edge and gold fiducial markers.

^†The significantly (p < 0.05) highest score among four sequences.

^‡The significantly (p < 0.05) higher score than that in other three sequences.