New imaging technologies for screening, staging and management of cancer

There are only six imaging modalities available to diagnose, stage and treat human cancer: X-Ray, CT, MRI, USG, SPECT, PET and Optical imaging. But only four CT, MRI, SPECT and PET are capable of 3-D detection of cancer anywhere in the human body. Despite technical advances in many areas of diagnostic radiology, the detection and imaging of human cancer remains very poor. A meaningful impact on cancer screening, staging and treatment is unlikely to occur until the tumor to background ratio improves by three to four orders of magnitude, which in turns requires proportional improvements in sensitivity and contrast agent targeting