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. 2023 Jan 6;6(2):e1764. doi: 10.1002/cnr2.1764

TABLE 1.

Technologies used for diagnosis of various types of Cancer and associated advantages and limitations

Diagnostic technique Measurement Type of cancer detected Advantages Limitations References
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Measures blood flow to various areas of a specific organ, allowing the construction of an image displaying which regions of the organ are more active at a particular time. Brain, breast, cervical, colorectal, esophageal, head and neck, pulmonary, lymphatic, pancreatic, prostatic, skin, and thyroid tumors.

  • Can be performed in addition to a CT scan to provide both functional and anatomical information.

  • May have diagnostic value in indentifying cancerous lesions that may have been missed on conventional imaging.

  • Analyzes metastasis via lymph nodes more accurately than conventional imaging.

  • Limited spatial resolution and cancerous lesion

  • Detectability.

  • Radiation exposure via intravenous administration of radioactive compounds.

 4, 6, 9, 10, 11, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 108
Computed Tomography (CT) A series of X‐ray images taken from different angles around the body to construct cross‐sectional images of bones, vessels, and soft tissues. Colorectal, gastric, head and neck, kidney, bone, bladder, ovarian tumors.

  • Fast scan with the potential to decrease motion artifacts.

  • Cortical bone information used to create digitally reconstructed radiographs.

  • Accurate spatial information.

  • Sub‐optimal soft tissue imaging.

  • Radiation exposure.

  • Lack of functional information.

 4, 6, 21, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Use a magnetic field and a radio waves to construct detailed images of organs and tissues. Brain, primary bone, soft tissue sarcomas, spinal cord, prostatic, bladder, uterine, and ovarian tumors. Detailed soft tissue imaging. Lack of ionizing radiation exposure. Gadolinium, the contrast agent used in MRIs, is less likely to cause an allergic reaction compared to iodine‐based contrast agents used in X‐rays and CT. Contraindicated in the presence of internal and external metal objects due to interference with the magnetic fields. Expensive. Time consuming. Must remain in an enclosed machine which can be problematic in claustrophobic patients. 6, 26, 52, 55, 61
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) Use a stronger magnetic field than MRIs to construct images depicting metabolism and blood flow. Brain, breast, colorectal, prostatic, pancreatic, hepatobiliary, and gastric tumors.

  • Detailed soft tissue imaging.

  • Lack of ionizing radiation exposure.

  • Can obtain biological, anatomical, physiological, and metabolic information.

  • Time consuming.

  • Expensive.

  • Lack of anatomical information.

 24, 26, 49, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61