Functional magnetic resonance: biomarkers of response in XXXX .

@entity1 @entity5 @entity0
Functional magnetic resonance (MR) encompasses a spectrum of techniques that depict physiological and molecular processes before morphological changes are visible on conventional imaging. As understanding of the pathophysiological and biomolecular processes involved in @entity0 evolves, newer functional MR techniques can be employed that define early predictive and surrogate biomarkers for monitoring response to chemotherapy. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is increasingly used in @entity1 with primary @entity0 to @entity5 and enable successful breast conservation surgery. It also plays a role in the treatment of undetected micrometastases. Cardinal physiological features of @entity5 that occur as a result of interactions between @entity5 cells, stromal cells and secreted factors and cytokines and how they change with treatment provide the opportunity to detect changes in the @entity5 microenvironment prior to any morphological change. Through sequential imaging, @entity5 response can be assessed and non-responders can be identified early to enable alternative therapies to be considered. This review summarises the functional magnetic resonance biomarkers of response in @entity1 with @entity0 that are currently available and under development. We describe the current state of each biomarker and explore their potential clinical uses and limitations in assessing treatment response. With the aid of selected interesting cases, biomarkers related to dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI, diffusion-weighted MRI, T2*/BOLD and MR spectroscopy are described and illustrated. The potential of newer approaches, such as MR elastography, are also reviewed.
