The final diagnostic form the evolving hybrid PET/MR tree will take is uncertain, but it has already begun to blossom. Thus, the low-hanging clinical fruit has lured a number of medical centers to early adoption. Experts weigh in on the potential that PET/MR may hold for various neurologic, oncologic and cardiovascular conditions.

Slowly but steadily, radiation oncologists are adopting PET and PET/CT to measure the early response of cancers to radiotherapy and other treatments. And progress has been significant.

While PET/CT is commonly and very successfully used for the staging and follow-up of cancers, researchers are seeking ways to make the modality more sensitive and specific by using targeted radiotracers and refining scanning techniques.

SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) is a well-validated noninvasive test to determine if coronary artery disease (CAD) is the cause of a patient’s chest pain. While SPECT will continue to play a role in this patient population, other tests are helping to fill in the gaps in identifying those at risk of cardiac events.