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Thromb Haemost 2003; 89(01): 25-33
DOI: 10.1055/s-0037-1613539
Review Article
Schattauer GmbH

Magnetic resonance imaging of tumor vasculature

Hadassa Degani
1   Department of Biological Regulation, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
,
Maya Chetrit-Dadiani
1   Department of Biological Regulation, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
,
Liora Bogin
1   Department of Biological Regulation, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
,
Edna Furman-Haran
1   Department of Biological Regulation, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
› Author Affiliations Financial support: Supported by a National Institutes of Health Grant No. CA42238; Sir David Alliance, CBE; the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, USA; the Israel Science Foundation; and the Washington Square Health Foundation, USA.
Further Information

Publication History

Received 04 November 2002

Accepted 05 November 2002

Publication Date:
09 December 2017 (online)

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Summary

Angiogenic activity and formation of a vascular network facilitate tumor perfusion and play a critical role in tumor growth and metastasis. Tumor vasculature may be visualized by means of parametric imaging of specific morphological and physiological characteristics that collectively describe its properties. In this review, we describe advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques that have been developed in order to image and quantify the distribution of tumor vasculature throughout the tumor and characterize its function. These techniques have been used to monitor changes in the magnetic resonance signal intensity of tissue water hydrogens generated by intrinsic effects, as well as by exogenous contrast agents administered into the blood circulation. We further describe specific applications of magnetic resonance imaging using a contrast agent, gadolinium diethylene triamine penta-acetic acid (GdDTPA), which has long been approved for clinical use. Examples include studies of the vascular properties of breast cancer tumors and metastases in animal models, as well as of breast cancer vasculature in patients. We also discuss the use of MRI to improve breast cancer diagnosis in humans by quantifying the permeability of the tumor vasculature. By maximizing the spatial resolution of the images in both animal and human studies, the capacity of magnetic resonance imaging to enhance our understanding of the processes regulating tumor angio-genesis, and improve the diagnosis of cancer, could be clearly demonstrated.

Keywords

Tumor perfusion - MRI - vascular permeability - contrast agents - angiogenesis - breast cancer - metastasis
 

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