Why MRI might catch more cancer signs than PET scans
Multiple Myeloma and Smoldering Myeloma: Prospective Evaluation of 3 T Whole Body MRI and 18F-FDG PET/CT and Their Impact on Clinical Management
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Doctors used two kinds of scans—MRI and PET—to look for cancer in bones and marrow in people with a blood cancer called multiple myeloma. The MRI found more hidden signs of cancer, even when the PET scan missed them, and sometimes found other serious problems like spinal cord pressure.
Surprising Findings
WB-MRI detected clinically significant incidental findings (like spinal cord compression) that FDG-PET/CT missed.
PET/CT is widely used for cancer staging and is thought to be comprehensive—finding that MRI catches serious, life-threatening issues PET misses is unexpected.
Practical Takeaways
If you or a loved one has multiple myeloma or high-risk smoldering myeloma, ask your doctor if a whole-body MRI has been considered—especially if PET/CT was negative or inconclusive.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Doctors used two kinds of scans—MRI and PET—to look for cancer in bones and marrow in people with a blood cancer called multiple myeloma. The MRI found more hidden signs of cancer, even when the PET scan missed them, and sometimes found other serious problems like spinal cord pressure.
Surprising Findings
WB-MRI detected clinically significant incidental findings (like spinal cord compression) that FDG-PET/CT missed.
PET/CT is widely used for cancer staging and is thought to be comprehensive—finding that MRI catches serious, life-threatening issues PET misses is unexpected.
Practical Takeaways
If you or a loved one has multiple myeloma or high-risk smoldering myeloma, ask your doctor if a whole-body MRI has been considered—especially if PET/CT was negative or inconclusive.
Publication
Journal
Blood
Year
2024
Authors
C. Cerchione, D. Bezzi, D. Nappi, Matteo Marchesini, A. Prochowski Iamurri, P. Caroli, A. Cattabriga, D. Cangini, G. Feliciani, Emiliano Loi, Federica Matteucci, Domenico Barone, S. Ronconi, M. Ceccolini, G. Musuraca, N. Normanno, G. Martinelli, A. Rossi
Related Content
Claims (6)
When doctors use two different scans to check for bone damage in multiple myeloma, they usually get the same results—but about 1 in 10 times, the MRI sees something the PET/CT scan misses.
A full-body MRI scan is better at spotting early signs of bone marrow cancer in certain types of myeloma than the PET/CT scan, especially when the cancer looks spread out in tiny spots — and this might change how doctors decide to treat patients.
When doctors use both a full-body MRI and a special PET/CT scan together to check for multiple myeloma, they’re more likely to change the patient’s treatment plan than if they only use one scan alone.
A full-body MRI scan can find serious hidden health problems—like possible cancer or spinal issues—in people with certain types of blood cancer, even when a different scan called FDG-PET/CT misses them.
For some people with an early form of blood cancer called smoldering myeloma, a special full-body scan (MRI) can spot hidden cancer cells in the bone marrow—even when there are no visible tumors—and this might help doctors decide to start treatment sooner.