Department of Radiotherapy, Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital, Hong Kong; Department of Clinical Oncology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Department of Clinical Oncology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Magn Reson Imaging. 2021 Nov;83:50-56. doi: 10.1016/j.mri.2021.07.003. Epub 2021 Jul 8.
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is an aggressive head and neck malignancy, and radiotherapy (with or without chemotherapy) is the primary treatment modality. Reliable tumour assessment during the treatment phase, which can portend the efficacy of radiotherapy and early identification of potential treatment failure in radioresistant disease, has been implicit for better cancer management. Technological advancement in the last decade has fostered the development of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) techniques into a promising tool for diagnostic and therapeutic assessments in head and neck cancer. Apart from conventional morphological assessment, early detection of the physiological environment by fMRI allows a more thorough investigation in monitoring tumour response. This article discusses the relevant fMRI utilities in NPC as an early prognostic and monitoring tool for treatment. Challenges and future developments of fMRI in radiation oncology are also discussed.
鼻咽癌（NPC）是一种侵袭性的头颈部恶性肿瘤，放射治疗（联合或不联合化疗）是主要的治疗方式。在治疗阶段进行可靠的肿瘤评估，可以预测放疗的疗效，并在放射性抵抗疾病中早期识别潜在的治疗失败，这对于更好的癌症管理至关重要。过去十年中技术的进步促进了功能磁共振成像（fMRI）技术的发展，使其成为头颈部癌症诊断和治疗评估的有前途的工具。除了常规的形态学评估外，fMRI 还可以早期检测生理环境，从而更全面地监测肿瘤的反应。本文讨论了 fMRI 在 NPC 中的相关应用，作为治疗的早期预后和监测工具。还讨论了 fMRI 在放射肿瘤学中的挑战和未来发展。
