During an MRI, patients will be placed inside a large cylindrical machine that will surround a part of the patient’s body that is being scanned. MRI machines will emit electromagnetic waves at a mesothelioma radiofrequency that will cause certain body cells to first absorb and then release electromagnetic energy. The body cells releasing energy will create radiofrequencies that will be scanned by the MRI. Scanned images will then be turned into 3-dimensional, detailed images by the computer.
The MRI scanner works based on the following:
o The human body has a majority of water molecules, each water molecule containing 2 hydrogen proton or nuclei. When a body encounters the powerful magnetic field of the MRI machine, the water molecules (proton) align in the direction of that magnetic field.
o Protons will absorb energy from the second radiofrequency electromagnetic field that will be briefly turned on.
o When this radiofrequency field is turned off, the protons will release absorbed energy at a radiofrequency which will be detected by the MRI scanner.
o The application of additional magnetic fields during the scanning process helps determine the position of protons in the body and allows image build up of the interior of the patient’s body.
Mesothelioma tumors can be detected by the MRI Scan because different body tissues absorb and release energy at different rates. Scanner parameters are changed to create contrast between the body tissues for detection of diseased tissue. Because the difference between healthy and diseased tissues can be detected from the MRI, MRI images can help doctors acquire information of the location and extent of spread of Mesothelioma tumor.
MRI Scans are painless and they use non-ionizing radiation which is safe as opposed to ionizing radiation which can increase risk of malignancy. MRI is a long diagnostic procedure and can take up to 1 hour.
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