Ahmadzade M, Ghasemi-Rad M. Enhancing lymphoma staging: Unveiling the potential and challenges of whole-body magnetic resonance imaging. World J Radiol 2025; 17(3): 104917 [DOI: 10.4329/wjr.v17.i3.104917]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Mohammad Ghasemi-Rad, MD, PhD, Department of Radiology, Section of Interventional Radiology, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, United States. mdghrad@gmail.com
Research Domain of This Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Article-Type of This Article
Editorial
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Radiol. Mar 28, 2025; 17(3): 104917 Published online Mar 28, 2025. doi: 10.4329/wjr.v17.i3.104917
Enhancing lymphoma staging: Unveiling the potential and challenges of whole-body magnetic resonance imaging
Mohadese Ahmadzade, Mohammad Ghasemi-Rad
Mohadese Ahmadzade, Department of Radiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, United States
Mohammad Ghasemi-Rad, Department of Radiology, Section of Interventional Radiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, United States
Author contributions: Ahmadzade M and Ghasemi-Rad M conceptualized and designed the editorial; Ahmadzade M performed the literature review and drafted the manuscript. Ghasemi-Rad M provided critical revisions and final approval. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest related to this manuscript.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Mohammad Ghasemi-Rad, MD, PhD, Department of Radiology, Section of Interventional Radiology, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, United States. mdghrad@gmail.com
Received: January 6, 2025 Revised: March 6, 2025 Accepted: March 12, 2025 Published online: March 28, 2025 Processing time: 80 Days and 4.8 Hours
Abstract
In this editorial, we comment on the article by Lambert et al, published in the recent issue of the World Journal of Radiology. The focus of the editorial is to explore the advancements in whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (WB-MRI) technology, its current clinical applications, and the challenges that must be addressed to fully realize its potential in oncological imaging. WB-MRI has emerged as a pivotal tool in oncological imaging, offering comprehensive disease assessment without ionizing radiation. Its applications span the detection of bone metastases, evaluation of hematologic malignancies, and staging of a wide range of cancers, including lymphoma, prostate, and breast cancers. Advanced techniques such as diffusion-weighted imaging have enhanced its diagnostic performance by providing superior lesion-to-background contrast and quantitative metrics. Despite its diagnostic strengths, WB-MRI faces challenges in standardization, patient acceptance, and integration into clinical workflows. Variability in acquisition protocols, hardware differences, and patient-related factors, such as anxiety and motion artifacts, have limited widespread adoption. Emerging guidelines like MET-RADS-P and ONCO-RADS aim to address these issues by promoting standardized protocols tailored to specific clinical needs. This editorial explores the advancements in WB-MRI technology, its current clinical applications, and the barriers that must be overcome to maximize its utility. By addressing these challenges and embracing standardization, WB-MRI holds the potential to redefine the landscape of oncological imaging, aligning diagnostic precision with modern treatment goals of reducing long-term patient risk.
Core Tip: Whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (WB-MRI) has revolutionized oncological imaging by offering a radiation-free alternative for comprehensive disease assessment across various malignancies. The integration of diffusion-weighted imaging enhances lesion detection and staging accuracy, positioning WB-MRI as a promising alternative to conventional imaging methods like computed tomography and FDG-PET. Despite its high diagnostic performance, the clinical adoption of WB-MRI has been limited due to insufficient prospective data and challenges in patient acceptance.
