Molecular imaging of cancer: MR spectroscopy and beyond

Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging is a non-invasive diagnostic tool for the investigation of cancer metabolism. As an adjunct to morphologic and dynamic magnetic resonance imaging, it is routinely used for the staging, assessment of treatment response, and therapy monitoring in brain, breast, and prostate cancer. Recently, its application was extended to other cancerous diseases, such as malignant soft-tissue tumours, gastrointestinal and gynecological cancers, as well as nodal metastasis. In this review, we discuss the current and evolving clinical applications of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging. In addition, we will briefly discuss other evolving techniques, such as phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging, sodium imaging and diffusion-weighted imaging in cancer assessment.