Simultaneous PET/MRI vs PET/CT in oncology. A systematic review

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Medical Imaging
• Radiology

Background:

• Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is a standard imaging modality in oncology.
• Simultaneous PET/MRI offers potential advantages including lower radiation dose and superior soft tissue contrast.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the diagnostic performance of simultaneous PET/MRI in oncology compared to PET/CT.
• To synthesize current evidence on the efficacy of PET/MRI in various cancer types.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted in Medline and Embase databases.
• Original clinical articles comparing simultaneous PET/MRI and PET/CT in oncology patients, published up to January 2016, were included.

Main Results:

• Fifty-seven articles covering diverse oncological diseases were analyzed.
• PET/MRI demonstrated similar or superior diagnostic performance to PET/CT across most cancers.
• PET/CT remained superior for the detection of small lung nodules.

Conclusions:

• Simultaneous PET/MRI is a feasible oncological imaging technique with diagnostic performance on par with PET/CT.
• PET/MRI offers the benefit of lower radiation exposure.
• Limited evidence necessitates further large-scale studies to establish definitive indications and optimal protocols for PET/MRI in oncology.