Fat quantification: Imaging methods and clinical applications in cancer

Abstract

Recently, the study of the relationship between lipid metabolism and cancer has evolved. The characteristics of intratumoral and peritumoral fat are distinct and changeable during cancer development. Subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue are also associated with cancer prognosis. In non-invasive imaging, fat quantification parameters such as controlled attenuation parameter, fat volume fraction, and proton density fat fraction from different imaging methods complement conventional images by providing concrete fat information. Therefore, measuring the changes of fat content for further understanding of cancer characteristics has been applied in both research and clinical settings. In this review, the authors summarize imaging advances in fat quantification and highlight their clinical applications in cancer precaution, auxiliary diagnosis and classification, therapy response monitoring, and prognosis.

Keywords: Adipose tissue; CT; Cancer; Fat quantification; MRI.