Whole-body diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging – new, unique opportunity in the diagnostics of tumours

This accumulation is registered with PET device to precisely determine localisation of the certain formations; additionally to this examination also whole-body computer tomography (CT) is performed. Up to now there were no PET devices in Latvia. But globally and also here we provide promising alternative for this examination. In the enterprise belonging to the Group of companies of HC4, Ltd. Visual diagnostics magnetic resonance (MR) office in the Diagnostics centre of the HC4 by using Siemens Magnetom Aera (1.5 T) expert class device you can perform whole-body diffusion-weighted or DW - MR examinations.

Advantages of the whole-body DW – MR examinations:

They allow reflecting the density of cells in various tissues and evaluating anatomic structures, their functionality, as well as determining the tumour in quantitative measures.

Promising examination for determining of the stage of lymphoma and evaluation of the effectiveness of treatment. Damages by lymphoma and other tumours have different histological composition and processed MR imaging displays these places as altered areas.

Contrasting agent is not required during the examination and radioactive radiation is not used.

Results indicated in publication in 2015 in the magazine Sao Paulo Medical Journal demonstrate that congruence while performing examination for the patient both with PET and DW-MR method are in 90.5% cases^*. But in publication in 2015 in the magazine Clinical Cancer Research where PET and DW-MR results are compared for evaluation of the effectiveness of therapy for patients of lymphoma, congruence in both methods were 99 from 102 examinations or in 97.1% cases^**. Sensibility or possibility to discover formation in PET was 63-100%, in DW-MR respectively from 59-100%. As the DW-MRI method of the entire body does not use ionized radiation and intravenous contrast agent, it is a harmless alternative that allows evaluating the stage of lymphoma. Also the previous experience of us in Latvia and results approve effectiveness of examination.

^* Rodrigo Regacini et al. “Whole-body diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging versus FDG-PET/CT for initial lymphoma staging: systematic review on diagnostic test accuracy studies”. Sao Paulo Medical Journal. http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-31802015005000810&lng=en&nrm=iso.

^** Marius E. Mayerhoefer et al. “Evaluation of Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Follow-up and Treatment Response Assessment of Lymphoma: Results of an 18F-FDG-PET/CT–Controlled Prospective Study in 64 Patients”. Clinical Cancer Research.