Quantitative and Physiological Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Glioma

Gliomas are the most common intracerebral tumors in adults and pose significant imaging and treatment challenges due to their invasive nature, and wide variability in tumor biology and behavior. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is pivotal in the clinical management of glioma; however, routine structural protocols and radiologic assessment that are widely used in clinical practice and therapeutic trials lack biological specificity and have limited sensitivity to early changes in tumor status. In this chapter, we examine how advanced quantitative and physiological MRI techniques may add value to imaging evaluation in the pre-therapeutic, peri-therapeutic, and post-therapeutic phases of the glioma patient’s clinical pathway. We review the evidence for the utility of these techniques in the context of current molecular tissue diagnostics and treatment regimens, and their limitations and barriers to widespread clinical …