Fowkes LA, Koh DM, Collins DJ, Jerome NP, MacVicar D, Chua SC, Pearson ADJ. Childhood extracranial neoplasms: the role of imaging in drug development and clinical trials.
Pediatr Radiol 2015;
45:1600-15. [PMID:
26045035 DOI:
10.1007/s00247-015-3342-8]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2014] [Revised: 02/16/2015] [Accepted: 03/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is the leading cause of death in children older than 1 year of age and new drugs are necessary to improve outcomes. Imaging is crucial to the drug development process and assessment of therapeutic response. In adults, tumours are often assessed with CT using size criteria. Unfortunately, techniques established in adults are not necessarily applicable in children due to differing pathophysiology, ability to cooperate and increased susceptibility to ionising radiation. MRI, in particular quantitative MRI, has to date not been fully utilised in children with extracranial neoplasms. The specific challenges of imaging in children, the potential for functional imaging techniques to inform upon and their inclusion in clinical trials are discussed.
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