[Magnetic resonance tomography in oncology diagnostics]

MR is well suited for imaging in patients with malignant disease. It is the most sensitive and most specific method in the detection of skeletal metastases. It clearly demonstrates the extent of primary bone tumours and also reveals skip metastases and invasion into neighbouring joints, hence it is an important procedure when surgery of a bone tumour is planned. In case of a soft tissue tumour, MR is the preferable imaging modality because it demonstrates the anatomy and reveals the different tissue constituents. MR is the best method to show tumour manifestations in the central nervous system, and it supplements cerebrospinal fluid examination in the detection of meningeal metastasis. MR is the method of choice if there is a cord compression. MR imaging is important in gynecologic oncology. Cost savings have been reported due to reduced use of other diagnostic tests and expensive surgical procedures. New and faster techniques allow examination of the total body in less than 45 minutes. We expect that MR imaging will be increasingly used in the future in patients with malignant disease.