title: Imaging strategies in the management of oesophageal cancer: what's the role of MRI?
abstract: To outline the current role and future potential of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the management of oesophageal cancer regarding T-staging, N-staging, tumour delineation for radiotherapy (RT) and treatment response assessment.
  
  
  
  PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane library were searched identifying all articles related to the use of MRI in oesophageal cancer. Data regarding the value of MRI in the areas of interest were extracted in order to calculate sensitivity, specificity, predictive values and accuracy for group-related outcome measures.
  
  
  
  Although historically poor, recent improvements in MRI protocols and techniques have resulted in better imaging quality and the valuable addition of functional information. In recent studies, similar or even better results have been achieved using optimised MRI compared with other imaging strategies for T- and N-staging. No studies clearly report on the role of MRI in oesophageal tumour delineation and real-time guidance for RT so far. Recent pilot studies showed that functional MRI might be capable of predicting pathological response to treatment and patient prognosis.
  
  
  
  In the near future MRI has the potential to bring improvement in staging, tumour delineation and real-time guidance for RT and assessment of treatment response, thereby complementing the limitations of currently used imaging strategies.
  
  
  
  • MRI's role in oesophageal cancer has been somewhat limited to date. • However MRI's ability to depict oesophageal cancer is continuously improving. • Optimising TN-staging, radiotherapy planning and response assessment ultimately improves individualised cancer care. • MRI potentially complements the limitations of other imaging strategies regarding these points.
authors: Department of Surgery, G.04.228, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584CX, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors: Peter S N
authors: PSN
authors: van Rossum
authors: Richard
authors: R
authors: van Hillegersberg
authors: Frederiek M
authors: FM
authors: Lever
authors: Irene M
authors: IM
authors: Lips
authors: Astrid L H M W
authors: AL
authors: van Lier
authors: Gert J
authors: GJ
authors: Meijer
authors: Maarten S
authors: MS
authors: van Leeuwen
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: van Vulpen
authors: Jelle P
authors: JP
authors: Ruurda
mesh_terms: D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods; D011379:Prognosis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome
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