Open AccessEmerging methods for prostate cancer imaging: evaluating cancer structure and metabolic alterations more clearly
Author(s) -
Retter Adam,
Gong Fiona,
Syer Tom,
Singh Saurabh,
Adeleke Sola,
Punwani Shonit
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
molecular oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.332
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1878-0261
pISSN - 1574-7891
DOI - 10.1002/1878-0261.13071
Subject(s) - magnetic resonance imaging , prostate cancer , positron emission tomography , cancer , cancer imaging , biomarker , medical imaging , diffusion mri , molecular imaging , magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging , medicine , in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy , computer science , radiology , chemistry , biology , in vivo , biochemistry , microbiology and biotechnology
Imaging plays a fundamental role in all aspects of the cancer management pathway. However, conventional imaging techniques are largely reliant on morphological and size descriptors that have well‐known limitations, particularly when considering targeted‐therapy response monitoring. Thus, new imaging methods have been developed to characterise cancer and are now routinely implemented, such as diffusion‐weighted imaging, dynamic contrast enhancement, positron emission technology (PET) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy. However, despite the improvement these techniques have enabled, limitations still remain. Novel imaging methods are now emerging, intent on further interrogating cancers. These techniques are at different stages of maturity along the biomarker pathway and aim to further evaluate the cancer microstructure (vascular, extracellular and restricted diffusion for cytometry in tumours) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), luminal water fraction imaging] as well as the metabolic alterations associated with cancers (novel PET tracers, hyperpolarised MRI). Finally, the use of machine learning has shown powerful potential applications. By using prostate cancer as an exemplar, this Review aims to showcase these potentially potent imaging techniques and what stage we are at in their application to conventional clinical practice.