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Diagnostic work-up and risk stratification in patients with bladder cancer before and after treatment must be refined to optimize management and improve outcomes. MRI has been suggested as a non-invasive technique for bladder cancer staging and assessment of response to systemic therapy. The Vesical Imaging-Reporting And Data System (VI-RADS) was developed to standardize bladder MRI image acquisition, interpretation and reporting and enables accurate prediction of muscle-wall invasion of bladder cancer. MRI is available in many centres but is not yet recommended as a first-line test for bladder cancer owing to a lack of high-quality evidence. Consensus-based evidence on the use of MRI-VI-RADS for bladder cancer care is needed to serve as a benchmark for formulating guidelines and research agendas until further evidence from randomized trials becomes available., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

Among the noninvasive imaging modalities, contrast enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is the most powerful tool with which to visualize vascularity. Common pathology only shows microvessel density, whereas dynamic MR imaging is sensitive to the total endothelial surface area of perfused vessels. Therefore, dynamic MR imaging may be of additional value in tumor staging and in evaluating therapies that affect the perfused microvessel density or surface area, such as chemo-, radiation, or anti-angiogenic therapy. In urinary bladder cancer, this technique results in improved local and nodal staging, in improved separation of transurethral granulation tissue and edema from malignant tumor, and in improved evaluation of the effect of chemotherapy. In prostate cancer, dynamic MR imaging may be of help in problematic cases. This technique can assist in determining seminal vesicle infiltration, in depicting of minimal capsular penetration, and in recognizing tumors within the transitional zone. Also, based on very rapid enhancement, very poorly differentiated tumors can be recognized. Evaluation of the effects of therapy is another promising area, however a lot of research remain to be done. This article reviews some basics of fast enhancement techniques, provides practical information, and shows recent developments, in using these fast techniques for staging and grading of bladder and prostate cancer, and for evaluating the effect of therapy.

Prostate and urinary bladder cancer are the most frequently encountered malignancies of the urinary tract. Appropriate use of the different imaging techniques is crucial for accurate assessment of prognosis and for the development of appropriate treatment planning. Especially determination of local tumor extension and detection of nodal or bone metastases is extremely important. In this regard MR imaging is the most promising imaging technique. Therefore, in this review its role in staging these malignancies is evaluated and compared with clinical staging, and other imaging techniques. Finally, future developments, such as new sequences, new contrast agents, the role of surface coils and MR-guided biopsy, are considered. Also, the preferred radiological approach is discussed.

Treatment and prognosis of urinary bladder cancer largely are determined by the tumor stage and presence of metastases. MR imaging and clinical staging complement each other. MR imaging is the most accurate technique for differentiating the various stages of deep tumor infiltration and detection of metastases, whereas clinical staging is the best technique for differentiating between postbiopsy effects and the various stages of superficial tumors. The role of MR imaging in staging of this disease and monitoring of therapy is reviewed and illustrated. Finally, the authors present an overview of current and future applications of this technique.

Purpose: To evaluate contrast enhancement patterns of urinary bladder cancer and surrounding structures and to evaluate a fast dynamic first-pass magnetic resonance (MR) imaging technique in tumor and node staging and in differentiation of urinary bladder cancer from postbiopsy effects., Materials and Methods: Sixty-one consecutive patients with histologically proved urinary bladder cancer were referred to undergo unenhanced and dynamic MR imaging 1-4 weeks after transurethral resection or biopsy. Subtraction and time (to beginning of enhancement) images were acquired., Results: Results with unenhanced T1- and T2-weighted images were compared with those obtained with the unenhanced images plus dynamic contrast material-enhanced single-section turbo fast low-angle shot (FLASH) images. Urinary bladder cancer started to enhance 6.5 seconds +/- 3.5 (standard deviation) after the beginning of arterial enhancement, which was 4 seconds earlier than most other structures (postbiopsy tissue, 13.6 seconds +/- 4.2). In differentiation of postbiopsy tissue from malignancy on the basis of the beginning of enhancement depicted on time and subtracted images, accuracy improved from 79% to 90% (P < .02) and specificity improved from 33% to 92% (not significant). Overall, tumor staging accuracy improved significantly from 67% to 84% (P < .01) by adding the turbo FLASH images., Conclusion: Fast dynamic first-pass MR imaging, with at least one image acquired every 2 seconds, improved delineation of urinary bladder cancer, tumor staging, and detection of metastases.

In this article, the role of MR imaging in the management of carcinoma of the urinary bladder is reviewed and illustrated. The appearance of the normal urinary bladder and of bladder carcinoma on MR images is shown. Important factors for optimal MR imaging of urinary bladder carcinoma are reviewed. New developments such as three-dimensional and fast spin-echo sequences and the use of contrast agents, endorectal imaging, and phased array coils are discussed. Finally, the value of MR imaging in the staging of bladder carcinoma is described, and MR staging is compared with clinical staging, staging based on findings from intravesical sonography, and CT staging.