title: Visualization, imaging and new preclinical diagnostics in radiation oncology.
abstract: Innovative strategies in cancer radiotherapy are stimulated by the growing knowledge on cellular and molecular tumor biology, tumor pathophysiology, and tumor microenvironment. In terms of tumor diagnostics and therapy monitoring, the reliable delineation of tumor boundaries and the assessment of tumor heterogeneity are increasingly complemented by the non-invasive characterization of functional and molecular processes, moving preclinical and clinical imaging from solely assessing tumor morphology towards the visualization of physiological and pathophysiological processes. Functional and molecular imaging techniques allow for the non-invasive characterization of tissues in vivo, using different modalities, including computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, positron emission tomography (PET) and optical imaging (OI). With novel therapeutic concepts combining optimized radiotherapy with molecularly targeted agents focusing on tumor cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and cell death, the non-invasive assessment of tumor microcirculation and tissue water diffusion, together with strategies for imaging the mechanisms of cellular injury and repair is of particular interest. Characterizing the tumor microenvironment prior to and in response to irradiation will help to optimize the outcome of radiotherapy. These novel concepts of personalized multi-modal cancer therapy require careful pre-treatment stratification as well as a timely and efficient therapy monitoring to maximize patient benefit on an individual basis. Functional and molecular imaging techniques are key in this regard to open novel opportunities for exploring and understanding the underlying mechanisms with the perspective to optimize therapeutic concepts and translate them into a personalized form of radiotherapy in the near future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Radiology, Laboratory of Experimental Radiology, University of Munich Hospitals, Campus Großhadern, Marchioninistraße 15, 81377 Munich, Germany. Clemens.Cyran@med.lmu.de.
authors.forename: Clemens C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Cyran
authors.forename: Philipp M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Paprottka
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eisenblätter
authors.forename: Dirk A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Clevert
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rist
authors.forename: Konstantin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nikolaou
authors.forename: Kirsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lauber
authors.forename: Frederik
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wenz
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hausmann
authors.forename: Maximilian F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Reiser
authors.forename: Claus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Belka
authors.forename: Maximilian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niyazi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D055420:Perfusion Imaging / Q000379:methods; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D018787:Radiation Oncology / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed