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Review
. 2023 Aug 1;58(8):578-586.
doi: 10.1097/RLI.0000000000000971. Epub 2023 Apr 3.

MR Elastography in Cancer

Jing Guo  1 , Lynn Jeanette Savic, Karl Herbert Hillebrandt, Ingolf Sack  1
Affiliations
Review

MR Elastography in Cancer

Jing Guo et al. Invest Radiol. .

Abstract

The mechanical traits of cancer include abnormally high solid stress as well as drastic and spatially heterogeneous changes in intrinsic mechanical tissue properties. Whereas solid stress elicits mechanosensory signals promoting tumor progression, mechanical heterogeneity is conducive to cell unjamming and metastatic spread. This reductionist view of tumorigenesis and malignant transformation provides a generalized framework for understanding the physical principles of tumor aggressiveness and harnessing them as novel in vivo imaging markers. Magnetic resonance elastography is an emerging imaging technology for depicting the viscoelastic properties of biological soft tissues and clinically characterizing tumors in terms of their biomechanical properties. This review article presents recent technical developments, basic results, and clinical applications of magnetic resonance elastography in patients with malignant tumors.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest and sources of funding: J.G., L.J.S., and I.S. received funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG) CRC1340. J.G. and I.S. received funding from the DFG GRK2260 BIOQIC. J.G. and I.S. hold patents related to MRE and are shareholder of Time Harmonic Elastography Applications and Devices. L.J.S. and K.H.H are fellows of the BIH Clinician Scientist Program funded by the Charité– Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the Berlin Institute of Health.

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