Novel imaging techniques in gynaecological cancer

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Oncology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Anatomical MRI provides structural information but lacks functional details crucial for gynecological cancer assessment.
• Novel functional MRI techniques offer advanced insights into tumor biology and behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

• To elucidate the added value of functional MRI techniques in detecting, staging, characterizing, monitoring treatment response, and predicting outcomes in gynecological cancers.
• To highlight the role of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI)-MRI and dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI in gynecological oncology.

Main Methods:

• Review of functional MRI techniques, specifically DWI-MRI and DCE-MRI.
• Analysis of their application in endometrial, cervical, and ovarian cancers.

Main Results:

• DWI-MRI and DCE-MRI improve tumor detection and staging for endometrial and cervical cancers, including assessment of pelvic spread.
• Quantitative analysis of DWI and DCE-MRI can predict treatment resistance, risk of disease recurrence, and extra-uterine/ovarian spread.
• Whole-body DWI-MRI enhances the staging of ovarian cancer, including detection of peritoneal metastases.

Conclusions:

• Functional MRI, particularly DWI/DCE-MRI, is increasingly vital for characterizing and staging gynecological malignancies, aiding treatment stratification.
• Quantitative functional MRI holds promise for prognostication and risk stratification in gynecological cancers.
• Further multicenter studies are anticipated to solidify the routine clinical integration of these advanced MRI techniques.