Developing a Whole-body MRI and Diffusion-weighted Imaging State-of-the-art Protocol: a Pilot Study

Whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (WB-MRI) is a non-ionizing imaging method that can provide WB coverage using essential imaging contrasts with the possibility to include sequences focusing in specific body-regions as needed per case. WB-MRI is increasingly being used for the management of cancer patients, especially metastatic ones. An integral part of WB-MRI is becoming whole-body diffusion-weighted MRI (WB-DWI) which is a non-invasive tool used for staging and response evaluation in oncologic practice. WB-DWI is an inherently noisy technique, resulting in it accounting for more than 50% of the acquisition time of conventional whole-body MRI studies with overall duration at least 1-hour. Reducing acquisition times, without compromising image or diagnostic quality would facilitate the wider adoption of clinical WBDWI, reducing costs, and improving the patient experience