The Role of Radiology in Personalized
Medicine
D. Miletic ́, P. Valkovic ́-Zujic ́, and R. Antulov
Abstract Radiological diagnostics in personalized medicine provides indispens-
able morphological and functional information, unique for every individual.
Volumetric imaging enables follow-up of suspicious nodules detected with screen-
ing or incidentally obtained on radiological imaging and assessment of tumor
response to treatment. Assessment of neovascularity with perfusion-based imaging
and restriction of water motion with diffusion-weighted MRI offers better distinc-
tion between benign and malignant lesions. Functional MRI of the brain delineates
eloquent cortical areas and diffusion tensor imaging allows for in vivo assessment
of white matter tracts characteristic for individual patients as prerequisites for
guiding invasive procedures. Imaging biomarkers are crucial in personalized diag-
nostics and therapy. Prognostic biomarkers may prevent aggressive treatment in
patients with indolent or slowly progressive disease. Imaging is mandatory for the
assessment of therapeutic response and discrimination of responders and non-
responders in the early phase of treatment. Identifying biomarkers before clinical
manifestation followed by therapeutic intervention prevents the development of a
disease. Our ability to detect smaller lesions using sophisticated technology
increases the necessity to characterize such findings by extension of diagnostics.
Incidental findings of preclinical disorders or indolent lesions without potential to
disturb subject’s health increase the risk of overdiagnosis. Imaging provides
detailed information for the assessment of tumor resectability and is used to
guide invasive procedures, including interventional radiology. Different imaging
modalities can be used to guide biopsy needle to the specific part of the tumor with
higher concentration of biomarkers. These sophisticated procedures are tailored to
the individual patient’s illness which is essential in personalized diagnostics and
treatment.
Professor Damir Miletic ́, M.D., Ph.D., Head of the Department of Radiology, KBC Rijeka, Rijeka,
Croatia.
Petra Valkovic ́Zujic ́, M.D., Ph.D., Clinical Radiology, Department of Radiology, KBC Rijeka.
Ronald Antulov, M.D., Ph.D., Clinical Radiology, Department of Radiology, KBC Rijeka,
Kresˇimirova 42, Rijeka, Croatia.
D. Miletic ́, M.D., Ph.D. (*) • P. Valkovic ́-Zujic ́, M.D., Ph.D. • R. Antulov, M.D., Ph.D.
Department of Radiology, KBC Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
e-mail:[email protected];[email protected];[email protected]
©Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016
N. Bodiroga-Vukobrat et al. (eds.),Personalized Medicine,Europeanization and
Globalization 2, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-39349-0_10
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