Positron Emission Tomography/Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Gastrointestinal Cancers

As an integrated system, hybrid positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) is able to provide simultaneously complementary high-resolution anatomic, molecular, and functional information, allowing comprehensive cancer phenotyping in a single imaging examination. In addition to an improved patient experience by combining 2 separate imaging examinations and streamlining the patient pathway, the superior soft tissue contrast resolution of MRI and the ability to acquire multiparametric MRI data is advantageous over computed tomography. For gastrointestinal cancers, this would improve tumor staging, assessment of neoadjuvant response, and of the likelihood of a complete (R0) resection in comparison with positron emission tomography or computed tomography.