Recent advances in oncological imaging

important in the management of patients with cancer, reflecting a growing need to evaluate disease status not only at the time of diagnosis and staging, but also at regular intervals during treatment follow-up. Imaging is a rapidly evolving medical specialty based on technical innovations and continues to take on new roles in clinical medicine. Close co-operation between clinicians and radiologists is therefore required for optimal and appropriate use of imaging techniques. For decades, the management of cancer patients depended on the detection of disease using imaging techniques that placed a great emphasis on spatial resolution to distinguish structural (anatomical) changes within tissues or organs. More recently, highly sensitive functional imaging techniques have entered clinical practice. These image physiological/metabolic processes that often precede anatomical changes are of value for the early detection of cancer and assessing response to treatment. In modern practice, the choice of an imaging strategy or test depends on many factors, including the: • nature of the information being sought • availability and accuracy of imaging techniques, and • potential hazards to patients. Recommendations on usage require constant reappraisal in the light of emerging evidence. Advances in anatomical imaging techniques