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Imaging Techniques Used in the Diagnosis of Pediatric Tumors

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Pediatric Malignancies: Pathology and Imaging

Abstract

The radiologist plays a crucial role in diagnosing pediatric malignancies. Often, it is the radiologist who first suggests the possibility of a malignant process based on imaging findings. Therefore, it is imperative for radiologists to be familiar with the typical and unique imaging features of pediatric solid and hematologic malignancies. The work-up of children with cancer almost always begins with plain-film radiography followed by ultrasonography and other cross-sectional imaging. Nuclear medicine studies provide invaluable information regarding tumor function and biology. The radiologist must guide the work-up of children with malignancies and provide a rational approach to the imaging evaluation based on the most likely diagnosis, the clinical scenario, and technical considerations. Because children, relative to adults, are more sensitive to the harmful effects of ionizing radiation, the radiologist must apply the “as low as reasonably achievable,” or ALARA, principle to the imaging work-up. In this chapter I will review the relative risks and benefits of the available imaging modalities for the initial assessment of children with cancer and discuss indications for their use in this patient population.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Radiological Sciences, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA

    M. Beth McCarville M.D.

Authors
  1. M. Beth McCarville M.D.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Beth McCarville M.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA

    David M. Parham

  2. Associate Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA

    Joseph D. Khoury

  3. Department of Radiological Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA

    M. Beth McCarville

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McCarville, M.B. (2015). Imaging Techniques Used in the Diagnosis of Pediatric Tumors. In: Parham, D., Khoury, J., McCarville, M. (eds) Pediatric Malignancies: Pathology and Imaging. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1729-7_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1729-7_2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-1728-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-1729-7

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