Renal cell carcinoma
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans provide an image of the soft tissues in the body using radio waves and strong magnets. MRI can be used instead of CT if the patient exhibits an allergy to the contrast media administered for the test. Sometimes prior to the MRI scan, an intravenous injection of a contrasting material called gadolinium is given to allow for a more detailed image. Patients on dialysis or those who have renal insufficiency should avoid this contrasting material as it may induce a rare, yet severe, side effect known as nephrogenic systemic fibrosis. A bone scan or brain imaging is not routinely performed unless signs or symptoms suggest potential metastatic involvement of these areas.
MRI scans should also be considered to evaluate tumour extension which has grown in major blood vessels, including the vena cava, in the abdomen. MRI can be used to observe the possible spread of cancer to the brain or spinal cord should the patient present symptoms that suggest this might be the case.
Magnetic resonance microscopy
Magnetic resonance microscopy refers to very high resolution MRI imaging (down to nanometer scale, in some cases comparable with histopathology). The term MR microscopy is most widely used by the High Resolution Magnetic Resonance Imaging department at Duke University, headed by Dr. G. Allan Johnson, and the National High Magnetic Field Lab group at AMRIS, University of Florida/Florida State University.Although MRI is very common for medical applications, MRM is still developing in laboratories up to resonance frequencies of 1000 MHz (for nuclear magnetic resonance; electron magnetic resonance commonly operates at much higher frequencies). The major barriers for practical MRM include: