title: Competing Technology for PET/Computed Tomography: Diffusion-weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
abstract: Whole-body diffusion-weighted (DW) imaging is a recent development. The image contrast is based on differences in mobility of water between tissues and reflects tissue cellularity and integrity of cell membranes. The tissue water diffusivity is quantified by the apparent diffusion coefficient. By performing imaging at multiple imaging stations, whole-body DW imaging has been applied to improve tumor staging, disease characterization, as well as for the assessment of treatment response. Information from DW imaging studies could be combined with those using PET imaging tracers to further refine and improve the assessment of patients with cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Royal Marsden Hospital, Downs Road, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5PT, UK. Electronic address: dowmukoh@icr.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Dow-Mu
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Royal Marsden Hospital, Downs Road, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5PT, UK.
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tunariu
authors.affiliation: CRUK EPSRC Imaging Centre, Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, SM2 5NG, UK.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blackledge
authors.affiliation: CRUK EPSRC Imaging Centre, Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, SM2 5NG, UK.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Collins