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Quantitative multimodality imaging in cancer research and therapy

Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology volume 11, pages 670–680 (2014)Cite this article

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Abstract

Advances in hardware and software have enabled the realization of clinically feasible, quantitative multimodality imaging of tissue pathophysiology. Earlier efforts relating to multimodality imaging of cancer have focused on the integration of anatomical and functional characteristics, such as PET–CT and single-photon emission CT (SPECT–CT), whereas more-recent advances and applications have involved the integration of multiple quantitative, functional measurements (for example, multiple PET tracers, varied MRI contrast mechanisms, and PET–MRI), thereby providing a more-comprehensive characterization of the tumour phenotype. The enormous amount of complementary quantitative data generated by such studies is beginning to offer unique insights into opportunities to optimize care for individual patients. Although important technical optimization and improved biological interpretation of multimodality imaging findings are needed, this approach can already be applied informatively in clinical trials of cancer therapeutics using existing tools. These concepts are discussed herein.

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Figure 1: Multimodality imaging in the diagnosis of metastasis in an 82-year-old woman with non-small-cell lung cancer.
Figure 2: A multiparametric MRI evaluation of patients with high-grade glioma before and after anti-VEGF-A antibody therapy with bevacizumab.
Figure 3: PET–MRI in the evaluation of treatment response in breast cancer.

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Acknowledgements

T.E.Y. thanks the National Cancer Institute for funding support through grants 1U01CA142565, 1U01CA174706, R01 CA138599, R25CA092043. R.G.A. is funded in part by the AUR GE Radiology Research Academic Fellowship. C.C.Q. thanks the Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center Young Ambassadors grant and NCI 1R01CA158079. The authors thank the Kleberg Foundation for generously supporting their imaging programme and NCI P30CA68485 (PI: J. Pietenpol). The authors also thank Drs J. Skinner and X. Li of the Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, TN, USA, for preparing Figure 2 and Figure 3, respectively.

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  1. Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, AA-1105 Medical Center North, 1161 21st Avenue South, Nashville, 37232-2310, TN, USA

    Thomas E. Yankeelov, Richard G. Abramson & C. Chad Quarles

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T.E.Y. has been a consultant for Eli Lilly. R.G.A. and C.C.Q. declare no competing interests.

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Yankeelov, T., Abramson, R. & Quarles, C. Quantitative multimodality imaging in cancer research and therapy. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 11, 670–680 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrclinonc.2014.134

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