Cancer is a scourge that affects millions of the world population. The incidence of oral cancer is alarmingly high in the Indian subcontinent. What is more appalling is the low survival rate of these patients. Various efforts are being made to bring about early diagnosis, accurate staging and aggressive treatment. Molecular imaging is one step in this direction.
Today, imaging plays a role not just in detecting what is radiopaque and what is radiolucent, but also plays a very active role in detecting disease down to the level of a single cell. The field of molecular imaging has been defined as ‘the visualization, characterization, and measurement of biologic processes at molecular and cellular levels in humans and other living systems’. The amalgamation of advanced imaging techniques such as Positron Emission Tomography and Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography with Computed Tomography, the use of newer contrast agents, incorporation of nanoparticles all have brought about these revolutionary changes in imaging.
The purpose of this article is to describe the various techniques used in molecular imaging specifically highlighting their application in head and neck cancer.
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