MI Techniques

Benefits

Ionizing radiation effect

Applications in Cancer Management

References

X-ray

Non-invasive, quick, and painless

Yes

X-ray radiography is used in many types of examinations and is effective in studying the blood vessels of the heart and the brain.

[44]

CT

Non-invasive, painless, and good spatial resolution.

Yes

CT has a huge application in diagnosing disease, trauma, and abnormality. Additionally, it has shown promise in planning and monitoring the effectiveness of cancer therapy.

[44]

Ultrasound

Non-invasive, absent of ionizing radiation, high resolution, and real-time information.

No

Endoscopic ultrasound can be utilized to find lesions in the mediastinum and, spread from lung cancer that had previously been seen on CT. Endoscopic ultrasound is also used to diagnose gastrointestinal

tumours such as oesophageal, gastric, and pancreatic cancer.

[22] [20] [42]

SPECT/PET

Provides physiological information that is frequently accurate and detailed, good tissue-specific contrast

Yes

PET imaging is effective for patients with androgen-independent tumours since they benefit greatly from the use of 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-2-d-glucose (18F-FDG), which is the most used tracer for PET imaging.

[20] [29] [34]

MRI

Non-invasive, absent of ionizing radiation, high spatial resolution, and good soft tissue contrast.

No

Because breast MRI does not employ ionizing radiation, it is particularly useful for periodic screening of high-risk patients who are more likely to experience radiation-induced DNA mutations. Additionally, it is widely used to screen women who have silicone implants, particularly dense breast tissue, or a family history of breast cancer because these factors can hide disease on a mammogram.

[20]

Mammography

Non-invasive, quick, and painless

Yes

Mammography is used to examine and diagnose breast tissue. It can detect more in situ lesions and less severe invasive cancers than other screening techniques like MRI and Ultrasound. It has long been the backbone of population breast cancer screening because it has shown promise in helping distinguish between different types of breast cancer.

[23] [42]