Prevalence of brain neoplasms: The emerging role of advanced magnetic resonance imaging techniques in neuro-oncology diagnosis and treatment

Less than 3% of glioblastoma patients are still alive at 5 years after diagnosis, elder age being the most important and reliable predictive index of poorer consequence. The incorporation of physiologic MR imaging, such as DWI, proton MRS, and PWI, as part of the mainstream clinical imaging protocol has empowered neuroradiologist to begin the course of combining radiology with biology in brain neoplasms to provide meaningful and clinically relevant end points and biomarkers for clinical trials and assessment of malignancy. Much work lies ahead, however, to validate and provide efficacy of these methods in improving diagnostic accuracy, affecting patient care, monitoring dynamic changes within brain neoplasm and normal brain throughout treatment, and forming them as the arbitrator of inventive therapy that may one day show management of brain neoplasm a reality.