The aim of this review was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of simultaneous PET/MRI in oncology compared with that of PET/CT, based upon the available evidence.
A systematic search was performed in the Medline and Embase databases to identify original clinical articles published up to 21 January 2016, in order to compare simultaneous PET/MRI and PET/CT in oncology patients.
A total of 57 articles were obtained that included various diseases: head and neck cancer (5), lung cancer and lung nodules (13), colorectal cancer (1), liver lesions (2), abdominal incidentalomas (1), neuroendocrine tumours (2), thyroid carcinoma (2), breast cancer (3), gynaecological cancer (2), prostate cancer (4), lymphoma (2), multiple myeloma (1), bone metastases (3), intracranial tumours (2), paediatric oncology (1) and various tumours (13). Diagnostic performance of simultaneous PET/MRI was similar or even better to that of PET/CT in most oncological diseases. However, PET/CT was superior for small lung nodule detection.
Simultaneous PET/MRI in oncology is feasible, performing at least equally as well as PET/CT, with lower radiation exposure. However, available evidence is still limited. Studies including more patients and tumours are needed to establish PET/MRI indications and to identify appropriate protocols for each disease.
Revista espanola de medicina nuclear e imagen molecular. 2016 Jul 13 [Epub ahead of print]
C Riola-Parada, L García-Cañamaque, V Pérez-Dueñas, M Garcerant-Tafur, J L Carreras-Delgado
Servicio de Medicina Nuclear, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, España. Electronic address: ., Servicio de Medicina Nuclear, Hospital Universitario HM Puerta del Sur, Móstoles, Madrid, España., Servicio de Radiología, Hospital Universitario HM Puerta del Sur, Móstoles, Madrid, España., Servicio de Medicina Nuclear, Hospital Universitario HM Puerta del Sur, Móstoles, Madrid, España., Servicio de Medicina Nuclear, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, España; Servicio de Medicina Nuclear, Hospital Universitario HM Puerta del Sur, Móstoles, Madrid, España.