Progress in magnetic resonance imaging of brain tumours

Abstract

Magnetic resonance imaging provides insights into the physiology of human tumours in a way that is both noninvasive and radiation free. We may expect from these new imaging methods greater specificity in diagnosis and useful tools with which to predict and assess response to therapy.

Usefulness of perfusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging with signal-intensity curves analysis in the differential diagnosis of sellar and parasellar tumors: Preliminary report

“…CBV correlates with vessel density, VEGF expression and thus is a marker of neoangiogenesis. In gliomas it correlates with tumor malignancy and is widely used for glioma grading, differentiating and biopsy planning, as well as tumor prognosis and monitoring [11][12][13][14].…”

“…The method is based on the measurements of the MR signal using a T2*-weighted sequence during the first pass of a bolus of a paramagnetic contrast agent. DSC MRI provides maps of CBV and noninvasive measurements of relative CBV as well as signalintensity curves parameters [11][12][13][14].…”

Glioblastoma: Current Chemotherapeutic Status and Need for New Targets and Approaches

“…Indeed, the recent rapid advances in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy provide exciting new possibilities in this area of research and development. Technological advances that can be exploited to diagnose and/or treat glioblastoma:MRI and other imaging techniques in diagnosing glioblastoma: Recent advances in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and related imaging techniques have opened new possibilities in the differential and more accurate clinical assessment of brain tumors including glioblastomas (Cha, 2009;Lemort et al, 2007;Wang & Lam, 2008). Historically, uses of MRI in the diagnosis of brain tumors were initially focused on neuromorphological demonstration, confirmation, and localization of brain tumors.…”

Specific biomarkers of receptors, pathways of inhibition and targeted therapies: clinical applications

“…DWI, which is sensitive to changes in water ADC, is considered a non-invasive indicator of cell density [142] and could be useful in the assessment of response to therapy, because the inverse relationship between ADC and cellular density suggests that the temporal evolution from viable tumour to treatment-induced necrotic tumour may be measurable by diffusion. Early increases in ADC values during therapy are hypothesised to relate to therapy-induced necrosis, whereas a drop in ADC values within the tumour compared with pre-treatment levels is thought to be an indicator of tumour regrowth [142]. Moffat et al [143] investigated if diffusion MRI could be used as a biomarker for early prediction of treatment response in brain cancer patients.…”

“…Perhaps the most promising of these parameters is the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of water, which increases markedly following induction of tumour cell death and is most likely the result of changes in tissue density [141]. DWI, which is sensitive to changes in water ADC, is considered a non-invasive indicator of cell density [142] and could be useful in the assessment of response to therapy, because the inverse relationship between ADC and cellular density suggests that the temporal evolution from viable tumour to treatment-induced necrotic tumour may be measurable by diffusion. Early increases in ADC values during therapy are hypothesised to relate to therapy-induced necrosis, whereas a drop in ADC values within the tumour compared with pre-treatment levels is thought to be an indicator of tumour regrowth [142].…”