Diffusion Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging of metastatic bone disease: A biomarker for treatment response monitoring

Diffusion Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DW-MRI) combined with conventional MRI can provide a whole body assessment of metastatic bone disease, improved lesion detection compared to other imaging techniques and a direct quantitative assessment of treatment response. In bone marrow, the presence of fat and bone trabeculae and their changing contributions with disease progression and response to treatment present unique challenges for data acquisition and image interpretation. This article discusses these challenges and reviews the potential of DW-MRI to provide a biomarker of response in metastatic bone disease.