Abstract
Although MRI is an effective modality in oncology, state-of-the-art total-body MRI (TB-MRI) in the past was infeasible in the diagnostic work-up, due to the need for repeated examinations with repositioning and separate surface coils to cover all body parts. To overcome this limitation, either a moving table platform in combination with the body-coil or a special designed rolling table platform with one body phased-array coil have been implemented with promising results for both tumor staging and metastases screening. Since 2004, state-of-the-art TB-MR imaging with high spatial resolution has become feasible using a newly developed 1.5 Tesla TB-MRI system with multiple receiver channels. This review gives an overview based on the recent literature as well as our own experience concerning the possibilities, challenges, and limitations of TB-MRI in oncology, emphasizing both oncological staging and early tumor detection in asymptomatic subjects.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Eustace S, Tello R, De CV, Carey J, Wroblicka J, Melhem E, Yucel E (1997) A comparison of whole-body turboSTIR MR imaging and planar 99 mTc-methylene diphosphonate scintigraphy in the examination of patients with suspected skeletal metastases. AJR Am J Roentgenol 169:1655–1661
Eustace S, Walker R, Blake M, Yucel E (1999) Whole-body MR imaging. Practical issues, clinical applications, and future directions. Magn Reson Imaging Clin N Am 7:209–236
Steinborn MM, Heuck AF, Tiling R, Bruegel M, Gauger L, Reiser MF (1999) Whole-body bone marrow MRI in patients with metastatic disease to the skeletal system. J Comput Assist Tomogr 23:123–129
Ruehm S, Goyen M, Quick H, Schleputz M, Schleputz H, Bosk S, Barkhausen J, Ladd M, Debatin J (2000) Whole-body MRA on a rolling table platform (AngioSURF). Rofo Fortschr Geb Rontgenstr Neuen Bildgeb Verfahr 172:670–674
Walker R, Kessar P, Blanchard R, Dimasi M, Harper K, DeCarvalho V, Yucel EK, Patriquin L, Eustace S (2000) Turbo STIR magnetic resonance imaging as a whole-body screening tool for metastases in patients with breast carcinoma: preliminary clinical experience. J Magn Reson Imaging 11:343–350
Barkhausen J, Quick HH, Lauenstein T, Goyen M, Ruehm SG, Laub G, Debatin JF, Ladd ME (2001) Whole-body MR imaging in 30 seconds with real-time true FISP and a continuously rolling table platform: feasibility study. Radiology 220:252–256
Gohde S, Goyen M, Forsting M, Debatin J (2002) Prevention without radiation–a strategy for comprehensive early detection using magnetic resonance tomography. Radiologe 42:622–629
Goyen M, Quick HH, Debatin JF, Ladd ME, Barkhausen J, Herborn CU, Bosk S, Kuehl H, Schleputz M, Ruehm SG (2002) Whole-body three-dimensional MR angiography with a rolling table platform: initial clinical experience. Radiology 224:270–277
Lauenstein T, Freudenberg L, Goehde S, Ruehm S, Goyen M, Bosk S, Debatin J, Barkhausen J (2002) Whole-body MRI using a rolling table platform for the detection of bone metastases. Eur Radiol 12:2091–2099
Lauenstein TC, Goehde SC, Herborn CU, Treder W, Ruehm SG, Debatin JF, Barkhausen J (2002) Three-dimensional volumetric interpolated breath-hold MR imaging for whole-body tumor staging in less than 15 minutes: a feasibility study. AJR Am J Roentgenol 179:445–449
Antoch G, Vogt F, Freudenberg L, Nazaradeh F, Goehde S, Barkhausen J, Dahmen G, Bockisch A, Debatin J, Ruehm S (2003) Whole-body dual-modality PET/CT and whole-body MRI for tumor staging in oncology. JAMA 290:3199–3206
Engelhard K, Hollenbach HP, Wohlfart K, von Imhoff E, Fellner FA (2004) Comparison of whole-body MRI with automatic moving table technique and bone scintigraphy for screening for bone metastases in patients with breast cancer. Eur Radiol 14:99–105 Epub 2003 Jul 2005
Gohde S, Debatin J, Hunold P, Vogt F, Ajaj M, Ruehm S (2004) Whole body MR screening for cardiovascular and malignant disease: feasibility and initial experience in 300 subjects. Radiological Society of North America scientific assembly and annual meeting program. Oak Brook, III: Radiological Society of North America 493
Lauenstein TC, Goehde SC, Herborn CU, Goyen M, Oberhoff C, Debatin JF, Ruehm SG, Barkhausen J (2004) Whole-body MR imaging: evaluation of patients for metastases. Radiology 233:139–148 Epub 2004 Aug 2018
Daldrup-Link HE, Franzius C, Link TM, Laukamp D, Sciuk J, Jurgens H, Schober O, Rummeny EJ (2001) Whole-body MR imaging for detection of bone metastases in children and young adults: comparison with skeletal scintigraphy and FDG PET. AJR Am J Roentgenol 177:229–236
Lauenstein TC, Freudenberg LS, Goehde SC, Ruehm SG, Goyen M, Bosk S, Debatin JF, Barkhausen J (2002) Whole-body MRI using a rolling table platform for the detection of bone metastases. Eur Radiol 12:2091–2099 Epub 2002 Mar 2098
Antoch G, Vogt FM, Freudenberg LS, Nazaradeh F, Goehde SC, Barkhausen J, Dahmen G, Bockisch A, Debatin JF, Ruehm SG (2003) Whole-body dual-modality PET/CT and whole-body MRI for tumor staging in oncology. Jama 290:3199–3206
Iizuka-Mikami M, Nagai K, Yoshida K, Sugihara T, Suetsugu Y, Mikami M, Tamada T, Imai S, Kajihara Y, Fukunaga M (2004) Detection of bone marrow and extramedullary involvement in patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma by whole-body MRI: comparison with bone and 67Ga scintigraphies. Eur Radiol 14:1074–1081 Epub 2004 Feb 1018
Goehde SC, Hunold P, Vogt FM, Ajaj W, Goyen M, Herborn CU, Forsting M, Debatin JF, Ruehm SG (2005) Full-body cardiovascular and tumor MRI for early detection of disease: feasibility and initial experience in 298 subjects. AJR Am J Roentgenol 184:598–611
Schlemmer HP, Schafer J, Pfannenberg C, Radny P, Korchidi S, Muller-Horvat C, Nagele T, Tomaschko K, Fenchel M, Claussen CD (2005) Fast whole-body assessment of metastatic disease using a novel magnetic resonance imaging system: initial experiences. Invest Radiol 40:64–71
Schmidt GP, Baur-Melnyk A, Herzog P, Schmid R, Tiling R, Schmidt M, Reiser MF, Schoenberg SO (2005) High-resolution whole-body magnetic resonance image tumor staging with the use of parallel imaging versus dual-modality positron emission tomography-computed tomography: experience on a 32-channel system. Invest Radiol 40:743–753
Tausig A, Manthey N, Berger F, Sommer H, Pfluger T, Hahn K (2000) Advantages and limitations of whole-body bone marrow MRI using Turbo-STIR sequences in comparison to planar bone scans. Nuklearmedizin 39:174–179
Engelhard K, Hollenbach H, Wohlfart K, Von IE, Fellner F (2004) Comparison of whole-body MRI with automatic moving table technique and bone scintigraphy for screening for bone metastases in patients with breast cancer [In Process Citation]. Eur Radiol 14:99–105
Ghanem N, Kelly T, Altehoefer C, Winterer J, Schafer O, Bley TA, Moser E, Langer M (2004) Whole-body MRI in comparison to skeletal scintigraphy for detection of skeletal metastases in patients with solid tumors. Radiologe 44:864–873
Baur A, Stabler A, Nagel D, Lamerz R, Bartl R, Hiller E, Wendtner C, Bachner F, Reiser M (2002) Magnetic resonance imaging as a supplement for the clinical staging system of Durie and Salmon? Cancer 95:1334–1345
Baur A, Stabler A, Arbogast S, Duerr HR, Bartl R, Reiser M (2002) Acute osteoporotic and neoplastic vertebral compression fractures: fluid sign at MR imaging. Radiology 225:730–735
Ghanem N, Uhl M, Brink I, Schafer O, Kelly T, Moser E, Langer M (2005) Diagnostic value of MRI in comparison to scintigraphy, PET, MS-CT and PET/CT for the detection of metastases of bone. Eur J Radiol 55:41–55
Nakai T, Okuyama C, Kubota T, Yamada K, Ushijima Y, Taniike K, Suzuki T, Nishimura T (2005) Pitfalls of FDG-PET for the diagnosis of osteoblastic bone metastases in patients with breast cancer. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 32:1253–1258 Epub 2005 Aug 1220
Baur A, Bartl R, Pellengahr C, Baltin V, Reiser M (2004) Neovascularization of bone marrow in patients with diffuse multiple myeloma: a correlative study of magnetic resonance imaging and histopathologic findings. Cancer 101:2599–2604
Ghanem N, Altehoefer C, Hogerle S, Schafer O, Winterer J, Moser E, Langer M (2002) Comparative diagnostic value and therapeutic relevance of magnetic resonance imaging and bone marrow scintigraphy in patients with metastatic solid tumors of the axial skeleton. Eur J Radiol 43:256–261
Bossuyt PM, Reitsma JB, Bruns DE, Gatsonis CA, Glasziou PP, Irwig LM, Lijmer JG, Moher D, Rennie D, de Vet HC (2003) Towards complete and accurate reporting of studies of diagnostic accuracy: The STARD Initiative. Radiology 226:24–28
Muller-Horvat C, Radny P, Eigentler TK, Schafer J, Pfannenberg C, Horger M, Khorchidi S, Nagele T, Garbe C, Claussen CD, Schlemmer HP (2006) Prospective comparison of the impact on treatment decisions of whole-body magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography in patients with metastatic malignant melanoma. Eur J Cancer 42(3):342–350
Mazumdar A, Siegel MJ, Narra V, Luchtman-Jones L (2002) Whole-body fast inversion recovery MR imaging of small cell neoplasms in pediatric patients: a pilot study. AJR Am J Roentgenol 179:1261–1266
Mentzel HJ, Kentouche K, Sauner D, Fleischmann C, Vogt S, Gottschild D, Zintl F, Kaiser WA (2004) Comparison of whole-body STIR-MRI and 99 mTc-methylene-diphosphonate scintigraphy in children with suspected multifocal bone lesions. Eur Radiol 14:2297–2302 Epub 2004 Jul 2299
Kellenberger CJ, Epelman M, Miller SF, Babyn PS (2004) Fast STIR whole-body MR imaging in children. Radiographics 24:1317–1330
Kellenberger CJ, Miller SF, Khan M, Gilday DL, Weitzman S, Babyn PS (2004) Initial experience with FSE STIR whole-body MR imaging for staging lymphoma in children. Eur Radiol 14:1829–1841 Epub 2004 Sep 1829
Friedenberg RM (2002) The 21st century: the age of screening. Radiology 223:1–4
Boyle P, Ferlay J (2005) Cancer incidence and mortality in Europe, 2004. Ann Oncol 16:481–488 Epub 2005 Feb 2017
Becker N (2002) Screening from the epidemiological viewpoint. Radiologe 42:592–600
Gray J (1997) Evidence based health care: how to make healthy policy and management decisions. Churchill Livingstone, New York, NY
Obuchowski NA, Modic MT (2005) Screening with multisection CT: unmasking the benefit. Radiology 237:401–403
Gohagan JK, Marcus PM, Fagerstrom RM, Pinsky PF, Kramer BS, Prorok PC, Ascher S, Bailey W, Brewer B, Church T, Engelhard D, Ford M, Fouad M, Freedman M, Gelmann E, Gierada D, Hocking W, Inampudi S, Irons B, Johnson CC, Jones A, Kucera G, Kvale P, Lappe K, Manor W, Moore A, Nath H, Neff S, Oken M, Plunkett M, Price H, Reding D, Riley T, Schwartz M, Spizarny D, Yoffie R, Zylak C (2005) Final results of the Lung Screening Study, a randomized feasibility study of spiral CT versus chest X-ray screening for lung cancer. Lung Cancer 47:9–15
Gohagan J, Marcus P, Fagerstrom R, Pinsky P, Kramer B, Prorok P (2004) Baseline findings of a randomized feasibility trial of lung cancer screening with spiral CT scan vs chest radiograph: the Lung Screening Study of the National Cancer Institute. Chest 126:114–121
Garg K, Keith RL, Byers T, Kelly K, Kerzner AL, Lynch DA, Miller YE (2002) Randomized controlled trial with low-dose spiral CT for lung cancer screening: feasibility study and preliminary results. Radiology 225:506–510
Gohagan JK, Prorok PC, Hayes RB, Kramer BS (2000) The Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial of the National Cancer Institute: history, organization, and status. Control Clin Trials 21:251S–272S
Henschke CI (2005) CT screening for lung cancer: update 2005. Surg Oncol Clin N Am 14:761–776
International Early Lung Cancer Action Program and Protocol. Website http://www.IELCAP.org
Swensen SJ, Jett JR, Hartman TE, Midthun DE, Mandrekar SJ, Hillman SL, Sykes AM, Aughenbaugh GL, Bungum AO, Allen KL (2005) CT screening for lung cancer: five-year prospective experience. Radiology 235:259–265 Epub 2005 Feb 2004
Feuerstein IM, Jicha DL, Pass HI, Chow CK, Chang R, Ling A, Hill SC, Dwyer AJ, Travis WD, Horowitz ME et al (1992) Pulmonary metastases: MR imaging with surgical correlation–a prospective study. Radiology 182:123–129
Kersjes W, Mayer E, Buchenroth M, Schunk K, Fouda N, Cagil H (1997) Diagnosis of pulmonary metastases with turbo-SE MR imaging. Eur Radiol 7:1190–1194
Lutterbey G, Leutner C, Gieseke J, Rodenburg J, Elevelt A, Sommer T, Schild H (1998) Detection of focal lung lesions with magnetic resonance tomography using T2-weighted ultrashort turbo-spin-echo-sequence in comparison with spiral computerized tomography. Rofo Fortschr Geb Rontgenstr Neuen Bildgeb Verfahr 169:365–369
Biederer J, Schoene A, Freitag S, Reuter M, Heller M (2003) Simulated pulmonary nodules implanted in a dedicated porcine chest phantom: sensitivity of MR imaging for detection. Radiology 227:475–483 Epub 2003 Mar 2020
Biederer J, Both M, Graessner J, Liess C, Jakob P, Reuter M, Heller M (2003) Lung morphology: fast MR imaging assessment with a volumetric interpolated breath-hold technique: initial experience with patients. Radiology 226:242–249
Schafer JF, Vollmar J, Schick F, Seemann MD, Kamm P, Erdtmann B, Claussen CD (2005) Detection of pulmonary nodules with breath-hold magnetic resonance imaging in comparison with computed tomography. Rofo Fortschr Geb Rontgenstr Neuen Bildgeb Verfahr 177:41–49
Vogt FM, Herborn CU, Hunold P, Lauenstein TC, Schroder T, Debatin JF, Barkhausen J (2004) HASTE MRI versus chest radiography in the detection of pulmonary nodules: comparison with MDCT. AJR Am J Roentgenol 183:71–78
Schroeder T, Ruehm SG, Debatin JF, Ladd ME, Barkhausen J, Goehde SC (2005) Detection of pulmonary nodules using a 2D HASTE MR sequence: comparison with MDCT. AJR Am J Roentgenol 185:979–984
Chen Q, Stock KW, Prasad PV, Hatabu H (1999) Fast magnetic resonance imaging techniques. Eur J Radiol 29:90–100
Bergin C, Glover G, Pauly J (1991) Lung parenchyma: magnetic susceptibility in MR imaging. Radiology 180:845–848
MacMahon H, Austin JH, Gamsu G, Herold CJ, Jett JR, Naidich DP, Patz EF Jr, Swensen SJ (2005) Guidelines for management of small pulmonary nodules detected on CT scans: a statement from the Fleischner Society. Radiology 237:395–400
Brenner DJ (2004) Radiation risks potentially associated with low-dose CT screening of adult smokers for lung cancer. Radiology 231:440–445
Ohno Y, Hatabu H, Takenaka D, Adachi S, Kono M, Sugimura K (2002) Solitary pulmonary nodules: potential role of dynamic MR imaging in management initial experience. Radiology 224:503–511
Schaefer JF, Vollmar J, Schick F, Vonthein R, Seemann MD, Aebert H, Dierkesmann R, Friedel G, Claussen CD (2004) Solitary pulmonary nodules: dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging–perfusion differences in malignant and benign lesions. Radiology 232:544–553 Epub 2004 Jun 2023
Kim JH, Kim HJ, Lee KH, Kim KH, Lee HL (2004) Solitary pulmonary nodules: a comparative study evaluated with contrast-enhanced dynamic MR imaging and CT. J Comput Assist Tomogr 28:766–775
Goyen M, Goehde S, Herborn C, Hunold P, Vogt F, Gizewski E, Lauenstein T, Ajaj W, Forsting M, Debatin J, Ruehm S (2004) MR-based full-body preventative cardiovascular and tumor imaging: technique and preliminary experience [In Process Citation]. Eur Radiol 14:783–791
Harewood GC, Lieberman DA (2004) Colonoscopy practice patterns since introduction of medicare coverage for average-risk screening. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2:72–77
Pickhardt P, Choi J, Hwang I, Butler J, Puckett M, Hildebrandt H, Wong R, Nugent P, Mysliwiec P, Schindler W (2003) Computed tomographic virtual colonoscopy to screen for colorectal neoplasia in asymptomatic adults. N Eng J Med 349:2191–2200
Rex DK, Cutler CS, Lemmel GT, Rahmani EY, Clark DW, Helper DJ, Lehman GA, Mark DG (1997) Colonoscopic miss rates of adenomas determined by back-to-back colonoscopies. Gastroenterology 112:24–28
Sonnenberg A, Delco F, Bauerfeind P (1999) Is virtual colonoscopy a cost-effective option to screen for colorectal cancer? Am J Gastroenterol 94:2268–2274
Zalis ME, Barish MA, Choi JR, Dachman AH, Fenlon HM, Ferrucci JT, Glick SN, Laghi A, Macari M, McFarland EG, Morrin MM, Pickhardt PJ, Soto J, Yee J (2005) CT colonography reporting and data system: a consensus proposal. Radiology 236:3–9
Luboldt W, Bauerfeind P, Wildermuth S, Marincek B, Fried M, Debatin J (2000) Colonic masses: detection with MR colonography. Radiology 216:383–388
Saar B, Heverhagen J, Obst T, Berthold L, Kopp I, Klose K, Wagner H (2000) Magnetic resonance colonography and virtual magnetic resonance colonoscopy with the 1.0-T system: a feasibility study. Invest Radiol 35:521–526
Ajaj W, Pelster G, Treichel U, Vogt F, Debatin J, Ruehm S, Lauenstein T (2003) Dark lumen magnetic resonance colonography: comparison with conventional colonoscopy for the detection of colorectal pathology. Gut 52:1738–1743
Steidle G, Schafer J, Schlemmer HP, Claussen CD, Schick F (2004) Two-dimensional parallel acquisition technique in 3D MR colonography. Rofo Fortschr Geb Rontgenstr Neuen Bildgeb Verfahr 176:1100–1105
Iannaccone R, Catalano C, Mangiapane F, Murakami T, Lamazza A, Fiori E, Schillaci A, Marin D, Nofroni I, Hori M, Passariello R (2005) Colorectal polyps: detection with low-dose multi-detector row helical CT colonography versus two sequential colonoscopies. Radiology 237:927–937
European, Society of Mastology Website http://www.eusoma.org/Engx/Guidelines
Brown J, Smith RC, Lee CH (2001) Incidental enhancing lesions found on MR imaging of the breast. AJR Am J Roentgenol 176:1249–1254
Gibbs P, Liney GP, Lowry M, Kneeshaw PJ, Turnbull LW (2004) Differentiation of benign and malignant sub-1 cm breast lesions using dynamic contrast enhanced MRI. Breast 13:115–121
Nakashima J, Tanimoto A, Imai Y, Mukai M, Horiguchi Y, Nakagawa K, Oya M, Ohigashi T, Marumo K, Murai M (2004) Endorectal MRI for prediction of tumor site, tumor size, and local extension of prostate cancer. Urology 64:101–105
Kurhanewicz J, Swanson MG, Nelson SJ, Vigneron DB (2002) Combined magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopic imaging approach to molecular imaging of prostate cancer. J Magn Reson Imaging 16:451–463
Togashi K (2003) Ovarian cancer: the clinical role of US, CT, and MRI. Eur Radiol 13(4):L87–L104
Fink C, Grenacher L, Hansmann H, Dux M, Leipold R, Spielhaupter E, Kauffmann G, Richter G (2001) Prospective study to compare high-resolution computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in the detection of pancreatic neoplasms: use of intravenous and oral MR contrast media. Rofo Fortschr Geb Rontgenstr Neuen Bildgeb Verfahr 173:724–730
Dux M, Grenacher L, Lubienski A, Schipp A, Richter G, Hansmann J (2000) Carcinoma of the stomach. Role of imaging for primary diagnosis and preoperative tumor staging. Rofo Fortschr Geb Rontgenstr Neuen Bildgeb Verfahr 172:661–669
Stashuk G (2003) Gastric magnetic resonance study (methods, semiotics). Vestn Rentgenol Radiol 2003:32–41
Filipas D, Spix C, Schulz-Lampel D, Michaelis J, Hohenfellner R, Roth S, Thuroff J (2003) Screening for renal cell carcinoma using ultrasonography: a feasibility study. BJU Int 91:595–599
Kreft BP, Muller-Miny H, Sommer T, Steudel A, Vahlensieck M, Novak D, Muller BG, Schild HH (1997) Diagnostic value of MR imaging in comparison to CT in the detection and differential diagnosis of renal masses: ROC analysis. Eur Radiol 7:542–547
Hara A, Johnson C, MacCarty R, Welch T (2000) Incidental extracolonic findings at CT colonography. Radiology 215:353–357
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank all colleagues working on the whole-body MRI and PET-CT systems in Tübingen. The images in this review article were recorded and prepared with the assistance of Philip Aschoff, Christina Pfannenberg, Christian Plathow, Christian Müller-Horvat, and Susanne Schaefer. The author wishes to thank Jane Gollub for language revision of the manuscript. Professor Claus D. Claussen, Chairman of our Department of Diagnostic Radiology of the University of Tübingen, is acknowledged for his continuous support.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Schaefer, J.F., Schlemmer, HP.W. Total-body MR-imaging in oncology. Eur Radiol 16, 2000–2015 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-006-0199-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-006-0199-0