Whole-body-MR-diffusion weighted imaging in oncology

Area of Science:

• Radiology and Medical Imaging
• Oncology
• Diagnostic Imaging

Background:

• Whole body diffusion weighted imaging (WB-DWI) is increasingly used for tumor detection, characterization, and therapy monitoring.
• Its speed, robustness, and availability on modern MRI scanners highlight its significant clinical potential.
• High tumor-to-background contrast makes WB-DWI suitable for identifying suspicious lesions, grading tumors, and assessing treatment response.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the clinical implementation and potential of WB-DWI in oncology.
• To highlight the diagnostic utility of WB-DWI in bone marrow diseases and metastasis detection.
• To identify limitations hindering the widespread clinical adoption of WB-DWI.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing whole body diffusion weighted imaging (WB-DWI) on modern MRI scanners.
• Assessing tumor detection, characterization, and therapy monitoring capabilities.
• Analyzing diagnostic potential in bone marrow evaluation and lymphatic spread.

Main Results:

• WB-DWI enables rapid assessment of tumor distribution and overall tumor burden.
• The technique is effective for therapy monitoring.
• WB-DWI demonstrates strong potential for evaluating bone marrow and detecting bone metastases.
• Assessment of lymphatic tumor spread remains a challenge.

Conclusions:

• WB-DWI provides a fast and effective method for assessing tumor burden and monitoring therapy.
• The technique is widely accessible on current MRI systems.
• Lack of standardization in measurement parameters is a key barrier to broader clinical application and comparability of research findings.