title: Diffusion weighted imaging of female pelvic cancers: concepts and clinical applications.
abstract: Early applications of diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) were limited to neuroimaging, concentrating either on stroke or brain tumours. With recent advances in MRI hardware and software DWI is now increasingly being investigated for cancer assessment throughout the body. Clinical applications of DWI relating to female pelvic cancers have largely concentrated on detection, localisation and staging of disease. More recently investigators have started to evaluate the ability of DWI for determining tumour histology and even predicting the outcome of chemoradiation treatment. This article reviews the physical concepts of MR diffusion weighting, illustrates the biophysical basis of diffusion contrast and reports the clinical applications of DWI for cervical, endometrial, ovarian, rectal and bladder tumours.
authors.affiliation: Department of Academic Radiology, 2nd Floor Podium, University College London Hospital, 235 Euston Road, London NW1 2BU, United Kingdom. shonit.punwani@gmail.com
authors.forename: Shonit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Punwani
mesh_terms: D003287:Contrast Media; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005833:Genital Neoplasms, Female / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media