Oncology Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Oncology, including details on cancer, surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy.

Total-body MR-imaging in oncology.

Schaefer JF, Schlemmer HP

Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Tuebingen, Hoppe- Seyler-Str. 3, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany. juergen.schaefer@med.uni-tuebingen.de

Although MRI is an effective modality in oncology, state-of-the-art total-body MRI (TB-MRI) in the past was infeasible in the diagnostic work-up, due to the need for repeated examinations with repositioning and separate surface coils to cover all body parts. To overcome this limitation, either a moving table platform in combination with the body-coil or a special designed rolling table platform with one body phased-array coil have been implemented with promising results for both tumor staging and metastases screening. Since 2004, state-of-the-art TB-MR imaging with high spatial resolution has become feasible using a newly developed 1.5 Tesla TB-MRI system with multiple receiver channels. This review gives an overview based on the recent literature as well as our own experience concerning the possibilities, challenges, and limitations of TB-MRI in oncology, emphasizing both oncological staging and early tumor detection in asymptomatic subjects.

Published 9 August 2006 in Eur Radiol, 16(9): 2000-15.
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