Andrei Iagaru, Thomas Hope, Patrick Veit-Haibach (Eds): PET/MRI in Oncology. Current Clinical Applications

Excerpt

Although PET/MRI is an innovative and powerful hybrid technique in the diagnostic imaging toolbox, it is not yet widely available. The main reason is probably related to the performance of its main competitor, PET/CT, that has been further improved by the recent availability of new “all-digital” scanners. The popularity of PET/MRI is also negatively affected by its higher cost, and a favourable comparative cost/effectiveness is reached almost exclusively in wealthy Institutions with the possibility of acquiring a wider spectrum of technologies, and in specialized Institutions favouring its indications, particularly in paediatrics and neuropsychiatric diseases. Nevertheless, wider diffusion should be strongly encouraged since relevant clinical applications have already become evident in both oncological and nononcological diseases. …