Metastatic renal cell cancer

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Radiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Targeted therapy is a primary treatment for metastatic renal cell cancer (mRCC).
• Traditional RECIST criteria, based on tumor size, are inadequate for monitoring targeted therapy effectiveness in mRCC.
• New imaging approaches are needed to assess treatment response.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current and emerging imaging techniques for evaluating targeted therapy in mRCC.
• To highlight the limitations of size-based criteria in assessing treatment response.
• To explore imaging modalities that provide prognostic information and predict early treatment response.

Main Methods:

• Review of imaging modalities beyond RECIST for mRCC targeted therapy.
• Inclusion of techniques like dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) imaging (ultrasonography, CT, MRI), diffusion-weighted MRI, positron emission tomography, and texture analysis.
• Assessment of imaging's role in baseline scans and early prediction of tumor response.

Main Results:

• Established size-based criteria (RECIST) are insufficient for monitoring targeted therapy in mRCC.
• Advanced imaging techniques (DCE, diffusion-weighted MRI, PET, texture analysis) offer prognostic value.
• These methods can predict tumor response to targeted therapy earlier than size-based assessments.

Conclusions:

• Imaging modalities focusing on characteristics other than size are crucial for monitoring mRCC targeted therapy.
• These advanced techniques can provide early insights into treatment efficacy.
• A standardized imaging follow-up protocol for targeted therapy in mRCC is still lacking.